Attraction of Small Things
by Scandinavian Sensation
Summary: Izuku didn't quite inherit his mother's quirk, but somehow, he found himself with the ability of attracting other small things... namely two, small people. How he went from Deku to something akin to dad was beyond him, but he wouldn't trade it for anything.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own nothing.**

 _So I don't know if y'all heard, but MHA is on hiatus this week, and the next chapter will be published next week. If you need a source, I think it was his official twitter that stated it, I can't remember. And if I'm wrong, then you guys get to read this as a lifelong reminder that I'm a moron! So yeah._

 _Anyways, this is just a friendly one-shot that I wanted to write after seeing this marvelous piece of fan-art that you can find on reddit. Type in_ **Apparently Deku got his mothers quirk of "attraction of small things"** _into the search bar on the subreddit for MHA, and you can find the fan-art. I'd link it, but I heard someone had the chapter taken down for something like that, so oh well. But if Kikkoooou (on twitter) is the artist... it's amazing and kudos to you! I loved it!_

 _ANYWAYS! Of course, this contains spoilers for recent chapters of the manga, so if you aren't relatively up-to-date, then I shouldn't even need to say go away._

 _Gone? Good._

 _This is obviously going to be AU (alternate-universe), cause, let's be real, none of this is canon and I don't know the future so... yeah._

 _Let's see... no flaming and uh, there might be a tiny Uraraka/Izuku shipping in there, but it won't be much._

 _Characters might be OOC... I need practice writing them, hence why I'm doing it._

 _Enjoy!_

* * *

Izuku couldn't lie if asked had he ever thought about having his mother's quirk. Typically, on the nights when he'd stare up at his ceiling, the gentle caress of sleep evading him, he'd wonder what it was like to have the different quirks he witnessed on a daily basis. Obviously, his sweet and caring mother displayed her quirk the most, simply because he saw her regularly, and while she _had_ tried to hide it from him at first, in fears of upsetting him, she eventually found he was more fascinated with quirks than he was jealous that he didn't have one.

He imagined secreting nitroglycerin, he imagined being able to extend his fingers to insane lengths, and, of course, he imagined having limited telekinesis, like his mother. To be honest, he wasn't really sure what his variation of the quirk would have been like, had he inherited her quirk. Typically, offspring didn't take the exact quirk from their parents - it was usually a mix between the two genetic donors.

In this case, his father's power was related to fire, so unless Izuku planned on levitating fire toward his body (which, he would rather not), he simply imagined being able to levitate something like metal objects, or perhaps medium-sized objects as well as small ones.

He'd never imagined that he might have inherited his mother's quirk in a different sort of manner.

"Are you all set for class?"

Kota sighed, stubbornly tugging on the strings that dangled loosely from his backpack in a vain effort to channel his embarrassment.

"I'm _fine_ ," Kota emphasized, looking anywhere but at the young man fussing over him. It wasn't that he _disliked_ the attention. In fact, if the man shifted his attention anywhere else, Kouta would likely get jealous, and do what he could to regain that lost focus. He just wasn't sure what to do when the attention was directly on him.

Izuku blinked in surprise at Kota's stubborn reply, but then smiled as he saw the young boy peek at him from under his hat he was so fond of. While Izuku wasn't positive that the school teachers would let Kota wear the hat indoors, he knew that if anyone would convince them, it'd be the little man in front of him. He had a way of endearing himself to adults - especially female adults.

"You're not excited? It's your first day of primary school!" Izuku said happily, trying to excite the child in front of him. It wasn't working quite as well as the third year student of the prestigious U.A. wanted, but it wasn't having any opposite effects, either, so he'd just keep trying. "That's a huge step!"

"I know..." Kota mumbled. He looked down, suddenly finding more interest in the carpet beneath him than anywhere else. "I-it's just... I'm not sure what to think..."

There was a silent statement that went unsaid: Kota wasn't sure how he'd fit in, seeing as how he was an orphan. It was common knowledge that children that came from different backgrounds often struggled to adapt, because many young kids could be very judgmental. It didn't help that sometimes, it only took one slip of the tongue for a child to be ostracized - much like Izuku had been when he was revealed to be quirkless.

Even now, Izuku wouldn't lie if he was asked if he was nervous for young Kuta. The hero in-training was completely aware of how school could go for someone that wasn't the same as the other kids. He was scared, nervous, and anxious for Kota... but he was also excited. Regardless of how primary school went for Izuku, he knew he'd gained a lot from it, as well.

And, for what it was worth, it had its moments.

"Hey," Izuku said quietly. He gently lifted Kota's head with his hand and smiled softly. "I know you're scared. It's okay to be a bit nervous."

"I'm not nervous!" Kota said defiantly, but even as he spoke the words, his eyes spoke differently, and he trembled ever-so-slightly. His words wavered at the end, and before he knew it, his defiance melted away in the face of the truth. "I don't want to let my parents down."

Izuku studied the young son of the once-famous Water Hose heroes. He'd only physically grown a little in the two years since he'd been raised by Sosaki, but mentally, he'd changed so much since the first day Izuku had run into him. Whereas he was jaded and opposed to heroes as a whole, he was now enamored and enthralled by their existence, and wanted to get to know them so much more than before.

It had helped that the man that slaughtered his parents was now safely contained in a secure prison, destined to wait out the rest of his days within the guarded walls of the secure facility.

His personality had done a complete flip since then, as well. He no longer played his loner routine, though he did retain his moments of defiance in the face of adult figures, and he often rejected radical changes, such as when Sosaki originally had Kota enrolled in a day-schooling program that was meant to prepare him for primary school. It had taken Izuku and Sosaki both to convince him to go, and even then, he flat-out hated the first few weeks. Only after exposure to the other kids and their warm attitudes, did he finally begin to accept the change.

Otherwise, he was much more open with Izuku, and he'd often confide his insecurities in the older boy. Maybe it was because of his admiration, or perhaps because of his sheer ability to help, but Kota felt comfortable with the wielder of One-For-All, and he didn't abstain from confessing certain internal musings. It also helped that Izuku knew what to say, when to say it, and how to say it. His personal experiences were invaluable, and many times, they seemed perfect for the situation at hand.

"I know they're proud of you," Izuku finally said.

Kota looked up at him. "How do you know that?"

Izuku smiled. "Because I am; and I know they would be, too."

A smile crossed Kota's face and he leaned in for a hug, to which Izuku returned happily. The little boy sniffled, but otherwise, kept himself composed. The only thing he hated doing, was crying. He'd done it during the fight with Muscular those two years ago, and afterward, he'd made it a goal to avoid crying in front of people.

"They love you, nothing you do will change that," Izuku whispered quietly.

"Thanks... Deku."

Izuku pulled back, a large grin across his face. "That's my hero name; you're only supposed to call me that when I'm wearing my costume!"

"Y-you're always... my hero," Kota admitted quietly, and for a moment, time stopped for Izuku.

It was the first time he'd heard that from the little boy. Izuku felt his heart almost melt at the words, but did his best to pull himself together. Heroes didn't cry, he told himself as the tears prickled at his eyes. It had taken Aizawa blandly scolding Izuku for crying at certain events for him to finally decide to control his active tear ducts.

Even now, he still had difficulty with it.

"H-hey, so... finish your breakfast." He stood up to his full height. "I'm gonna go check on Eri, then we'll go."

Kota pouted, but obliged. The young boy didn't _dislike_ Eri... he just didn't particularly enjoy how she managed to snag some of Izuku's attention. As he saw it, she was the only thing that could tear away Izuku's attention from him, depending on the circumstance. Well, her and Uraraka, but Kota only knew that was because Izuku was completely smitten with her.

Eri had shown up around the same time as Sosaki decided that Kota needed another good role-model in his life. Knowing his fascination with Izuku, she decided to involve the then second-year student in an engagement that involved Kota being sent home with Izuku in order to help the young child adapt to the settings of an actual home - not the "home" of a group of pro heroes. Especially with all the chaos that happened following Shiretoko's loss of her quirk.

When Izuku was first engaged, he was somewhat surprised - and frankly, hesitant. As it turned out, he was also assuming temporary care of Eri, as her situation was resolved from a governmental standpoint. Inko, Izuku's mother, was adamant on taking temporary care of Eri during the time where she was having to undergo multiple medical procedures as result of her time with her abusive father.

Izuku's large heart prevented him from denying the exercise, and thus, he'd taken responsibility for watching Kota, as well. At first, he'd been a little scatterbrained, not knowing how to balance the two radically different children. Eri was clingy, needed constant attention, and simply desired contact. She was timid, and she _hated_ talking. Kota, on the other hand, was independent (as much as he could be) and he didn't seek out active attention.

However, as Izuku became more and more acclimated with what he had to do, he began finding a perfect balance for the two, and Eri found herself wanting to talk more and more, whilst Kota found himself accepting the attention he received... and yearning for a little bit more. He'd never realized how deprived he was of it, until Izuku took the time to cook a special meal for him, or let read him one of his favorite books.

The Pussycat heroes were great, and they cared for him the best they could, but they were busy being heroes, too. They couldn't always do everything he needed, and time and time again, he found himself having to wait for their return, which was marked by silence. When they did return, they were tired, and sometimes hurt, so they didn't always have the energy to do the little things that Izuku was able to do.

Even after meeting Eri, and becoming acclimated to her, Kota still became jealous from time-to-time, though he understood she needed the attention just as much as he did.

Because of that, he'd share.

Eri's room - which was technically supposed to simply be a guest room, as Eri's stay was _supposed_ to be temporary, but ended up being much more permanent than anticipated - was marked by a door that was messily labeled during an art-and-craft day that she and Izuku had during her first few days at the Midoriya household. It was designed to show her that this was her home (albeit, temporary at the time, but Inko more than likely knew more than she let on) and she could do whatever she liked.

Izuku delicated rapped twice on the wood, placing his ear next to the door. "Eri, you in there?"

"J-just a minute..." came the soft voice in return. There was a shuffling, followed by the turning of the doorknob, and Eri's timid face peeked through the crack of the door.

Judging by the red, puffiness of her eyes, it was clearly apparent she had been crying.

For the second time that morning, Izuku knelt down as Eri pushed the door open more so that her whole body was visible. "H-hey, what's wrong?"

Eri didn't waste a moment in diving into Izuku's open arms and she buried her face into his shoulder - conveniently, the opposite shoulder that Kota had leaned into. They had their sides, and they both knew it. "I'm scared!"

Izuku took a few moments to rub the young girl's back, tracing delicate circles on her back as she cried, hiccups occasionally interrupting her sobs. While she obviously wasn't Izuku's genetic relative, one couldn't ignore the active tear-ducts that she, too, somehow had come into possession of. If she had black hair, it might have been too difficult to tell that she wasn't a blood-related Midoriya.

A gentle shushing was the only thing that Izuku said, opting to calm the girl down first before speaking. Her sobs became slowly, and her body began to cease trembling, which signed for the end of the crying. Izuku made sure his tight grip wasn't suffocating, but he also made sure not to loosen his grip, otherwise she might think he was trying to get away from her.

"School is scary, I know." It was almost déjà vu to Izuku, but he refrained from making a comment. "But what's so scary?"

He'd often found it helped to identify the problem before rattling off suggestions, when it came to children. By figuring out their fears beforehand, it became much easier to address their problem, and find a solution that made sense. Often times, the most logical answer was either the one they'd overlooked, or was the answer they didn't want, so they simply needed a second perspective.

"What if I don't fit in? W-what if the other kids don't like me... or worse...? What if the teachers don't like me?"

Like Kota, Eri, too, was beginning her first day of primary school, though she was a year above Kota, and transferring in for different reasons. Kota was finally in the age-range to enroll - Eri, on the other hand, had been... well, home-schooled wasn't quite the term, but thanks to her father's interventions, she was unable to attend school.

The year after her escape, she'd been subjugated to multiple medical examinations, and often, she was forced to stay in the hospital for a day or two, making her sudden enrollment rather difficult, aside from her already messy background and lack of government certification. It had been unanimous that she should just wait a year and enroll then.

"They'll love you," Izuku said confidently. Eri slowly pulled her face from his shoulder and looked at him uncertainly. "My mom and I love you, so why wouldn't they?"

"You two are different..." she mumbled, leaning her head back on his shoulder.

He was warm... caring... exactly what she wanted from a father.

Izuku stifled a chuckle at that. "How are we different?"

"Just are..." she muttered, feeling the gentle embrace of sleep beginning to overtake her. Luckily, or rather, unluckily for her, Izuku caught on and gentle jostled her, clearing her darkening vision.

She groaned loudly in protest, but Izuku had none of it. "C'mon, it'll be _fine_ , I promise. Aren't you excited to make new friends?"

"No," Eri said quietly. "I don't know if they'll like me."

Izuku could sympathize with her. He had the same thoughts when he first began attending school, and that was adding in to his quirkless-state. Thankfully, neither Kota nor Eri had to go through that problem, and that already took away a reason for Izuku to worry incessantly.

"Well, if they don't..." Eri lazily shifted her gaze to look at Izuku, as he pulled her back. "Then they're not worth it anyways. Besides, you have all of class 1-A!"

Truthfully, the class of 1-A was overwhelming captured by Eri's delicate nature and cute exterior. The girls of class 1-A loved to interact with her, almost as much as they loved to interact with Kota. The guys, minus Mineta and Bakugou, enjoyed giving Kota some "needed guy time" and involved him in some minor athletics, while they were never really sure what to with Eri, before realizing she, too, loved athletics.

"I guess. I just want friends my age, too."

"That's reasonable. And I promise, if you can make friends with my friends... then you'll have no problem with your class," Izuku said. Eri thought about what he said carefully, and decided, hew was more than likely right.

He normally was, anyways.

"Come downstairs for breakfast? We have to leave, soon." Eri eagerly took Izuku's stretched-out hand and followed him into the kitchen, where Kota was just finishing his breakfast.

Inko had gladly taken his plate, smiling and began fussing over him, resulting in him once again, being consumed by embarrassment and becoming unsure of where to look.

"Oh, don't you look adorable," Inko said as she caught an eyeful of Eri. "You're both gonna have a great first day! Why... I can remember Izuku's first day... all dressed up and bouncing foot to foot... he wouldn't let go his All Might figure, though. Said it was too important to let go."

Izuku blushed, but didn't deny it. "And it got me through that first day, too."

"Do you want any breakfast, Eri?" Inko asked, knowing the young girl was probably going to ask for a fruit. She was typically a small eater in the morning, but throughout the day, her appetite became far more voracious for someone her size. Inko chalked it up to years of not getting enough food, although she couldn't help but enjoy the fact that she now had _two_ big eaters in the house, as Izuku's appetite was always massive after beginning his daily training.

She thought for a moment and settled for an apple, which Inko gladly gave her. She took a big bite and smile, the apple juices running down her chin. Izuku laughed, and quickly grabbed a napkin to prevent her from staining her uniform on her first day. While no other student would care, the teachers would probably make a remark to him when he went to drop them off, and that was the _last_ thing he wanted.

They very likely already remembered him from his time at school... he didn't need to give them a reason to dislike him now.

"You guys ready?" Izuku asked, holding out his hands. Immediately, the duo went, and gripped his scarred hand. For some reason, it was their favorite hand, though Izuku had yet to figure out the reason behind that. They exchanged a look, and Kota reluctantly switched arms, but not without scowling lightly at Eri, who in turn, buried her head into Izuku's elbow.

He laughed, a sweat-drop running down his head; he might not have inherited his mother's quirk, but he somehow had gained the attraction of other small things.

In this case, he couldn't have been happier.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own this. None of it.**

 _I'm back, surprisingly. You guys actually really liked this dabble-post thing I got going on and wanted another chapter! So, I'll oblige! I don't have much to say, other than this: if you guys are looking for a prompt for me to write involve one, or both, of these little munchkins and Deku, I'll do what I can to make it happen! It won't be super long, cause I'm obviously working on other things, but feel free to shoot me a review asking for what you like!_

 _Otherwise, here's another insert._

 _Synopsis: When Izuku takes Eri and Kota to the park with some classmates, he wasn't planning on the sharing of his embarrassing stories._

 _Time-frame: Izuku is a 3rd year at UA_

* * *

Izuku _loved_ his friends.

After years of not having really anyone to call a comrade (minus Kacchan, but being realistic, he didn't count) Izuku took every opportunity to relish the warm feeling that spread through his chest when it came to having friends. It was a feeling unlike any other, and he'd long since dreamt of the days where he'd be able to go to the park and just enjoy the friendship and company of other people his age.

Even as a third year student, and having since gotten used to the idea of friendship, he'd never relinquished that grateful outlook he had, and he took careful precautions to make sure he never took them for granted, either. He was blessed and he knew it.

That being said, there was one thing that he'd never really adapted to.

"I'm pretty sure he was staring at my butt while he was lifting me up."

One of the only things he'd never gotten used to was the good-natured teasing that came with friends.

"T-that's not true!" Immediately, Izuku countered the memory, knowing he was most certainly _not_ staring at Mina's butt like she so proclaimed. "I-I-I was making sure no one came from behind us!"

Mina smirked. "If behind us, you mean, my behind, then _sure~_ you were really watching behind us."

Izuku flushed red and averted his eyes. He could _feel_ the disapproving looks that he was getting from his two little companions. Eri was surprised, and failing to contain a giggle, but she was also giving him the eyes of judgement that he was overly familiar with. He knew she'd have something to say later, and if he knew any better, it would come whilst his mother was around. She just had that special ability to out Izuku for anything he did.

Kota, on the other hand, was sitting with his arms crossed an a disapproving look on his face, nearly shaking his head. "Pervert..."

"S-she's lying! It didn't happen like that!" He pointed at Mina with an accusatory look, but he knew, deep-down, she'd already won, even if she admitted it was a lie. And judging by her sly smirk, she knew she'd won, too.

Mina simply shrugged, and took the victory.

"C'mon, you guys know I didn't... r-right?" Izuku asked feebly, looking around the small picnic. Yaoyorozu was too invested in her sandwich to answer, so she shrugged, and failed to offer any sort of retort. Tokoyami, on the other hand, sighed, and decided to throw the desperate boy a bone. He turned to the two children, and calmly spoke. Izuku felt his spirits raise; Tokoyami would clean this up, for sure!

"He probably did not do it on purpose."

Or not.

Mina burst out laughing, and even Yaoyorozu snorted in between bites.

"Izuku... pervert..." Kota muttered again, averting his eyes as if he'd catch the 'pervert-ness'. Eri snorted, but covered her mouth, and shook her head, trying to feign disappointment.

The hero in-training fell back and sighed; he'd lost.

"Don't worry too much, Midoriya; I'd stare, too!" Mina joked. Izuku felt his face flush again. But it didn't end there. " Or were you thinking of _someone else~?_ "

"Who's she talking about?" Eri asked innocently.

"N-n-no one!" Izuku near-shouted. This picnic was starting to feel like a terrible idea.

Tokoyami smiled gently, containing his laughter as he watched Midoriya frantically deny accusations from Eri, as well as try to win back Kota's approval. While he'd failed to help Izuku in the long run, he knew that the green and black haired boy had a knack for getting himself into, and out of trouble, so he'd somehow stumble his way free of the accusations.

And, as figured, a solution presented itself as Yaoyorozu finished off her sandwhich and let out a content sigh, patting her full belly. The taller heroine in-training couldn't resist the urge to do something now that she'd filled her bottomless stomach - a result of her quirk using her fats as fuel. "C'mon you two, would you like to play something?"

Immediately, the two kids jumped at the opportunity to do something fun, though Kota was far less enthusiastic, if only to keep an image up. Eri, on the other hand, _loved_ playing with the girls of Izuku's class, as a result of the lack of a mother figure in her life. Izuku had noticed how her eyes lit up at any mention of potentially meeting up with one of the females from Class 1-A. While there was something Eri loved about all of them, such as Mina's energy and playfulness, Ochacko's innocence, Jirou's taste and love of music and instruments, Hagakure's desire to braid hair, Tsuyu's cooking or Yaoyorozu's mother-like tendencies, she found herself wanting all of them in her life, not just one.

And, because of that, Izuku did what he could to spend time with all the girls when they had free time. Typically, when hanging with Jirou, Kaminari was around and didn't mind hanging out with Kota, although the young boy was enthralled by Jirou's musical knowledge, and when Kaminari had noticed this, he began teaching Kota how to read music. He'd also promised to teach the young boy to play the drums, but Izuku was secretly hoping that was just an empty promise, or he may never get peace again.

At first, it had been a little awkward for Midoriya to ask to hang out with someone independently, no matter who it was, and when Mineta found out, he made a gigantic deal out of it, but eventually... it became somewhat _normal_ for the third year hero in-training. Even in the past, he'd only done large groups, and he typically didn't do the organizing... so when he'd contacted Yaoyorozu as the first person, she was relatively surprised... and somewhat honored.

Granted, even though Uraraka ended up being one of the most common people the two kids saw, Yaoyorozu was almost tied with her... if not more common. She _loved_ the duo, and she began making it a regular habit to text Izuku to see if he needed any help with them, which he appreciated to no end.

"Frisbee?" Kota suggested cooly, but anyone could see his hopes that they got to play frisbee. Eri knew she could just say something different, and create a choice, but... she didn't mind frisbee, and she wanted to bond with Kota a bit, too. So, she agreed with frisbee, and Yaoyorozu smiled before getting to work.

Izuku smiled, too. To see his two little companions getting along... it was heartwarming.

"Ah... they grow up so fast!" Mina said, wiping away a fake tear from her eye. She slung her arm around Izuku's shoulder and pulled him into her side. "What're you gonna do when they start dating people, huh?"

With the teasing smile she had on, she hoped he knew she was only playing around, but he turned pale and frowned. "I don't know... I never thought that far ahead."

"Hey, I'm playing around Izu." Mina giggled; he was always so serious, thinking about every possible outcome of every possible situation. "Easy does it. Besides, if you're worried about them growing too fast..."

She leaned in close, her lips next to his ear. "We can always make more~"

 _That_ did it.

One-For-All came roaring to life as a fiery red blush erupted across Izuku's freckled face, and before Mina knew it, her classmate was in the air like he'd been shot from a cannon. She didn't know if it was a desperate attempt to escape her, the situation, or both, but either way, it was _hilarious_. She began cackling as he came back down, landing only thanks to Tokoyami's Dark Shadow reaching out timidly to catch him.

As soon as his feet were firmly on the ground - and he'd thanked Tokoyami and Dark Shadow - he turned back to Mina and, with his red face, began mumbling like his brain had been fried, similar to one hero they knew as Chargebolt. "I-I-I... t-they're... I haven't t-thought about _t-that_..."

Mina grinned wolfishly. "I know... _butttt_ that's not to say others haven't."

Truly, there was something special about teasing the socially awkward teenager. It might have been his delicious reactions that did it, but whatever it was, Mina had no intentions of letting up anytime soon. Besides; this was comedy _gold_ , and whoever thought it wasn't... well, they were perfect to hang out with Iida.

Red-faced again, Izuku didn't even register the frisbee that soared through the air and bounced off his head harmlessly. Eri came running over, laughing merrily, and picked up the frisbee, before looking up at her caretaker with curiosity written all over her face. "Is he being perverted again...?"

"No!" Izuku said, snapping from his thoughts. A horrified and betrayed look crossed his face as the words sunk in. "W-what do you mean _'again'_?!"

Eri began laughing, which Izuku slowly began to chuckle too, his face clearing up, before lifting the girl onto his shoulders and running around with her. She hollered in excitement and tossed the frisbee toward Kota, who not-so-secretely used his water quirk to help his catch the high throw, ensnaring the disc in the water and causing it to fall straight down into his hands. Mina smiled, without 'malicious' intent this time, and decided to join in on the fun.

She ran over to Kota, and knelt down to allowed him to get onto her back. "C'mon, Kota! Let's take those two down!"

He grinned and eagerly climbed on, before the duo took off, Mina running half-speed toward the towering image of Eri and Izuku. The young girl had taken to spreading her arms out like a plane and pretending to guide Izuku, which resulted in him taking several erratic and sharp turns as she tilted her body to emphasize the sudden turns.

"Do a barrel roll!" She chanted, and Izuku sweat-dropped; he was fairly certain she'd gotten that from a game, which was strange, because she didn't play games. No matter how she learned it, one thing was certain: he was _not_ doing a barrel-roll.

Mina ran by the two, challengingly grinning at Izuku with her daring eyes. "C'mon slowpoke, keep up!" Kota had resorted to sticking his tongue out and spitting at the two.

Izuku grinned at the challenge. The days of only being able to use 5-8% of his power had long since vanished. Now, he was capable of using more than 40% of the power of One-For-All, and whilst it was only around half of the power, he had come a long way since first starting out. The power flooded through his veins, and no matter how many times it happened, it was always like a shot of adrenaline to his heart, filling him with all sorts of energy.

"Ready Eri?"

The young girl nodded excitedly, her grip tightening as she lowered herself so that she wasn't so imbalanced on Izuku's shoulders.

"Go!" She shouted, and they shot off, the distance between Mina and Izuku closing within half-a-second. After the full second had passed, Izuku was in front of Mina, grinning back at her with confidence rolling off his body in waves - something that _still_ surprised the both of them every time it happened. Eri, on the other hand, had somehow secured the frisbee, as she'd shot by Kota, and by leaning back, she'd managed to get low enough to reach down and snag the plastic disc.

The scene reminded Izuku of the time he'd faced off against Iida and Todoroki in the calvary battle, in their first year at U.A.

"No fair, you used your quirk!" Mina pouted. Kota was surprised by Eri's quick hands, and while he didn't admit it aloud... he was impressed. With Izuku moving that fast, she needed to react just as quick in order to actually make use of his blistering speed. But, of course, this was all internal - he'd never admit it out loud. That would be embarrassing.

Izuku shrugged and laughed, causing Mina to decide to chase down the green and black haired teen, while Yaoyorozu, who had taken a back-seat to the hyperactive rough-housing, and Tokoyami watched fondly from the picnic location.

"He's really outdone himself," Yaoyorozu commented as she watched the interactions between Izuku and the two children. "I know Mr. Aizawa was somewhat worried but... it looks like he's doing great."

Tokoyami folded his arms and closed his eyes. "It was less about him failing... and more about the load it'd place on his life. Training to be a hero, taking classes, learning to control his quirk... and caring for children...? I dare say it's a lot for anyone, let alone Midoriya."

The pink-skinned girl set Kota down as Eri gracefully dismounted from atop Izuku's shoulders, prompting Mina to do a flip to show off for the young girl. Izuku ruffled Kota's hair through his hat, causing the boy to grumble up at his caretaker, but not in an angry way. Eri ran over to Izuku and began clamoring for him to do a flip, which he bashfully tried to talk his way out of.

With Kota's encouragement, he sighed, and got into position, before doing a backflip. As he landed, he felt his balance shift, and he ended up falling backward, and Kota and Eri immediately were at his side. He laid up, and began laughing, with the two little ones joining in his laughter, causing a large smile to grace Yaoyorozu's delicate features.

"I guess he was the most sensible pick from the very start, wasn't he?" Yaoyorozu asked quietly.

Tokoyami nodded. "He's the perfect example of tenderness and care, mixed with passion. His own experiences in growing, paired with his outlook in life will benefit those two for years to come. He was the most suitable pick."

The two were silent before...

"I wonder who will call him their father first?"

"I bet on Kota."

Yaoyorozu glanced at Tokoyami with skepticism written all over her features. "Seriously?"

"Dark Shadow and I never lose a bet."

"I'm not going to bet on personal matters," Yaoyorozu said confidently.

"500 yen?"

Her resolve crumbled at the opportunity.

"... Only this once. And _only_ to see Dark Shadow lose."


	3. Chapter 3

_I'm back! Again! Here I am!_

 _Okay, so obviously there have been a few requests, but nothing too much. Today's chapter will be featuring Izuku... going on a date?!_

 _HOLY SHI-_

 _Well... you'll see..._

Time Frame: Third-Year Izuku

* * *

Eri _loved_ coloring books; it was the blend of warm and cool colors that instantly called out to her heart, and whenever she had free time, which was always, she'd probably be found, enraptured in delicately testing new color combinations. Usually, when the teacher assigned a coloring activity, some kids would groan, but Eri's quiet eyes would flash with excitement, and the smallest shred of a smile would crack her impassive expression.

And, of course, Izuku was _more_ than happy to let her color to her heart's content.

So when he bought her a stack of coloring books and nervously ushered her into her room, she was _overjoyed..._ but slightly suspicious. When she asked why, he just smiled and rubbed the back of his head, whilst replying, _"I don't need a reason to do something nice, r-right?"_

He didn't, of course, but that didn't mean she wasn't a bit curious why he was fussing over his hair in the bathroom...

"Izu?" Eri asked quietly, putting a finger to her mouth like she'd seen him do so many times in the past. She wasn't sure if it made her smarter or not, and Kota would often tell her it didn't work like that, but then, she didn't really mind. When the adults compared her to him, she would just smile, pleased to be compared to someone so _pure_. He would blush, but never deny it, and that made her even happier.

His not-so-quiet yelp, paired with his fumble of the hairbrush in his hands, made it obvious he was so focused on his task, that he hadn't even heard her push the door open. He turned to her, and bashfully smiled as his hair stuck up in more than unusual ways than normal.

"What are you doing?"

Izuku laughed, but Eri knew better. His normal laugh was light, and worked up from a gentle chuckle, to a full-fledged laugh. This laugh was forced, and seemed to waver several times before Izuku finally paused for breath. He smiled at her, albeit, nervously. "I-I'm just... trying something new!"

"I don't understand." A bead of sweat trailed down Izuku's forehead; sometimes, he forgot just how young she actually was, until she reminded him she was in her 'question-everything' stage of life.

"W-well... I decided t-to... maybe look a new way for a change of pace," Izuku said slowly. His eyes lit up at his words, and he began to pick up speed. "Y-yeah! It's like how I've changed my costume so much!"

Eri nodded slowly. "Okay, but..."

She looked up and down his body, her eyes brimming with the 'judgement-eyes' only a child could innocently possess. He'd opted for a pair of his black dress pants, which were admittedly smooth and the little girl wouldn't criticize that. But his belt was the wrong color, the dress shirt he'd picked was wrinkled and a bit too loose, and he'd opted for low socks, which Eri _knew_ was a mistake if he was going with anything but dress shoes.

And with that attire, she wouldn't let him leave without them.

"You look like a mess."

"Is she innocent, though...?" he muttered, but smiled regardless. "Well... do you have any tips?"

She wasn't yet the age to take over a makeover, but she had talked enough about fashion with Grandma Inko, and she had come to _adore_ fashion. She attributed most of that toward her lack of exposure to it as a child when she was under Overhaul's care, and once she learned exactly what fashion was, she began to see the contrast in colors, in addition to aspects such as the subtle sizing requirements certain clothes needed to look good, as well as what clothes went well with what occasion.

With a eager nod, Eri grabbed the brush from Izuku's hand, and smiled in a determined fashion that was not unlike Izuku when he was younger.

"Leave it to me!" She said confidently, and Izuku blinked.

Truthfully, he couldn't recall the last time he'd seen her this confident. She was a shy girl, and she never made it a habit to speak out much when she was in the presence of new people, or even familiar people, purely out of shyness. Her confidence was slowly being built up, and school was having a positive influence on her personal growth, but _this_ was new level.

He couldn't be happier.

It took a few attempts, but Eri was able to jump up and grab Izuku's collar and yank him down to a low seated position so that she could reach the jungle on his head. He yelped, but complied immediately. Twice, Eri took some water and dampened his hair, before running the brush through the green locks, but frowned when they popped right back up.

She hummed in thought as she wet the brush again, and tried to smooth down the unruly hair again, her surprise flaring up when the hair shot back into place a third time. Running her hand through it, she couldn't understand why it was so rebellious- it was rather soft- and she realized water alone wasn't going to tame this beast.

From the doorway, a small boy had been watching the whole seen with a raised eyebrow.

"What are you doing?" As soon as he spoke, Eri snapped her fingers.

"Kota!" She said excitedly. "I need you to make some water - and douse Izu!"

"Wait, what?!" Izuku nearly shouted.

Kota shrugged nonchalantly. "Okay."

Using his quirk, a small stream of water came jetting from around his hands and immediately tunneled around Midoriya, coating him head-to-toe, and soaking him thoroughly. He shouted, but his voice was muffled by the water, while Eri watched in earnest to see if his hair could withstand this onslaught of water.

"Hmm... that should be good," Eri advised, and Kota complied, halting the stream of water, and stuffing his hands in his pockets.

One second passed.

Then another second.

And a third second.

And then...

"Huh?!" Eri exclaimed as all of Izuku's drenched hair popped _exactly_ back into its previous style. "T-that's...!"

Kota just watched in partial amusement. "You guys are being weird."

Folding her arms, Eri huffed, a rare look of frustration on her face. "Not... fair..." she muttered.

All the while, Izuku was just shivered and dripped wet, a look of shock still plastered on his face.

* * *

"Okay, so that didn't work..." Eri mused, looking over the _newly_ dressed Izuku. She had been disappointed the pants were soaked, but thankfully, he'd had a second pair in his possession, and they managed to look just as good.

The young girl hadn't hesitated to change the style of his shirt he was wearing previously, opting for a soft teal dress shirt with a black sports jacket he'd pulled out. She wasn't quite sure _why_ he was so insistent on the sports jacket, especially since the whole style change was such an abrupt and... strange thing for the usually combat-oriented young man to think about. Eri had never seen him really consider how he looked in the past... so she wasn't sure what changed.

"Maybe I just need to turn up the water pressure?" Kota suggested, but that was met with immediate protest from Izuku

"T-the hair is really fine, Eri. I don't mind how it looks, actually. I just wanted to see if I could... y'know... pull off something else?"

Eri smiled, and accepted Izuku's decision. She liked his hair how it was, anyways. It was messy, sure, but it was _him_ , and she didn't think she'd ever get used to seeing him without the "poofy" hair he'd come to be trademarked with.

"Besides, I think she likes it, anyhow..." Izuku mumbled to himself, but as soon as the words came from his mouth, he froze. So did Eri. And even Kota went rock solid.

"I-I-I didn't mean that!"

"S-she?!" Kota shouted.

"You have a date?!" Eri squealed excitedly.

"I-I... w-wait!" Izuku stammered, but it was too late.

The damage had been done.

"Who?!" Kota asked loudly. Eri would pretend she didn't notice the glimmer of excitement in his eyes... at least for now.

She knew how much having a mother meant to her foster-brother. They were _both_ grateful for Izuku's kind and caring disposition, and his fatherly instincts were as impressive as his combat abilities, something that shocked nearly everyone from his class, as well as those outside his class, from what Eri had heard. They'd known Izuku grew up without a father, and because of that, he'd relied entirely on his mother, which she was completely okay with.

And it showed, because he was able to do everything a father should do, while also supporting them in the ways a mother should. Obviously, he couldn't do everything, but as time went on, Eri, and eventually Kota, realized they didn't need that extra stuff with how much tender love Izuku poured out to them daily. They were more than happy with just him, if that's what it came down to.

But the both of them had the occasional dream at night where they'd have a full, functioning family like the ones on television. Sometimes, in school, Eri would hear about her classmates and how they were hanging out with both of their parents and doing some fun, family-oriented activity. Obviously, there were several problems with this in Eri's case... with how her 'father' was training to be a professional hero, for one, which mean he also had homework and studying to do during these free times.

At the end of everything, Eri couldn't help it: she just wanted to know what it was like to have a mother.

"I won't say!" Izuku said, before folding his arms and turning away. Eri giggled; her 'dad' could be really funny sometimes with his antics.

"Okay." Kota said simply.

Izuku frowned. Something was up...

"I'll just ask Grandma."

"WHAT?!"

A doorbell, followed by a knock, silenced everyone, as Izuku paled instantly. Two sets of eyes slowly turned to stare at Izuku as sweat began to slide down his face like rain down a window as his eyes widened and his jaw clenched from fear.

Eri felt a wave of sympathy wash over her, and she gently grabbed Izuku's larger, scarred hand. He immediately stopped sweating and looked at her in surprise, but didn't say anything.

"You'll treat her great... there's nothing to worry about!"

Kota nodded in agreement. "Y-yeah... you'll, you know, be cool. She likes you, right?"

Izuku blushed and nodded slowly.

"Then... just be yourself... and she'll probably still like you."

It was such simple advice, but the words slowly sank in, and the fear slowly dissipated from Izuku's face. Judging by the fact that Eri could no longer see the pending heart attack he was close to having, she smiled, and gently guided him toward the door, making sure he looked good, with a quick one-over. Minus the hair of _doom_ , he looked... great, she thought.

Definitely like a hero should on their night out.

Just as they got to the doorway, a loud exclamation was heard from the living room.

"IZUKU IS TAKING YOU OUT?! A-AND HE DIDN'T TELL ME?"

"So _that's_ why you didn't want me asking Grandma..." Kota mumbled.

"It's going to be a long night..." Izuku sighed, but with Kota and Eri by his side, he made his way toward his date.

And overly tearful mother.


	4. Chapter 4

_Disclaimer: I do not own My Hero Academia!_

 **Hello again, friends! I have so little to say, other than I've been swamped with work! Because I work at a hospital, I've been part of organizations geared toward helping those victims of Hurricane Harvey. And, now, because I live in Florida, I'm dealing with the possible upcoming effects of Irma. So yeah, it's wild here.**

 **Also, things that actually concern you: if I make some social media account for this, would anyone follow? Let me know, please! I want to be able to communicate with everyone!**

 **In the meantime, enjoy this super short, but fluffy chapter!**

* * *

Girl's night out had become somewhat of a regular tradition to engage in for the females of Class 1-A. Due partially to the higher volume of guys in their class, along with the fact that companion camaraderie was important, the girls had unanimously come together to decide to have at least one night of girl-only activities per month. Studies made it harder to find a good night to go out late, but every month, there was that _one_ weekend day that just fit perfectly into their planners.

Typically, it involved going out to a neutral site, such as a karaoke bar, or a nice restaurant, or maybe even a performance or movie - just something that got them together and able to talk and hang out without the lingering fear of Mineta trying to sneak a lewd picture of them in some sort of compromising position. Yaoyorozu, especially, was glad to be away.

On this particular night, they'd opted for investigating an ongoing festival, in hopes of _maybe_ enjoying it enough to bring a boy back with them on a later date. Between the music, the delicious hot foods, the beautiful, if not slightly cold, weather, and the welcoming atmosphere, the festival turned out to be one of the best ideas they'd had so far, regardless of any secondary intentions.

"I think Kirishima would fit in so well there!" Hagakure mused aloud and swishing her kimono as she spoke, conveying her body language. "He's an older-fashioned kinda guy!"

"That's true..." Mina said with a finger to her chin. "Could you imagine someone like Bakugou there?"

All the girls had the image of the ill-tempered explosion-user dressed in an elegant kimono for the peaceful, reserved festival, and his face breaking out into a nasty snarl with miniature explosions detonating in his palm. For the most part, they grimaced or laughed awkwardly, knowing his history public appearances.

"What did you think of the Yaki Soba, Uraraka?" Tsuyu asked, changing gears.

The brunette girl sighed happily, her face the picture of bliss as she patted her very, very full stomach. In the past, she'd abstained from eating much because of her money-crunch, but after a scolding from Midoriya, she learned that to become more powerful, she needed food in her system to do so, and since then, she didn't hold back. "It was _delicious~_ "

"If you want to know how certain foods tasted, just ask Yaomomo," Mina said with a teasing smirk. The long hair girl blushed, but smiled. "She had, what? One of everything?"

Yaoyorozu was quick to protest. "I feel that you should indulge the hard work that those men and women put forth. Besides; my quirk runs off of the fats in my body, so it's only natural that I'd want to engage with the better options in life."

"So that meant the entire festival?" Hagakure asked innocently, inciting a blush from the tall girl, and a chuckle from the others.

Jirou, however, was silent, and even paused at one point, halting her steps as her earjacks delicately twitched in their hanging position. The small gaggle of girls had just gotten back to the dormitories but hadn't yet entered. Mina was the first to notice, and the first to say something as she read the look of confusion that slipped its way onto Jirou's face.

With her advanced, sensitive hearing, Jirou was typically privy to information that people wanted to keep private, and because of that, she usually found out any current events before anyone else did. But that information came at a price, and it wasn't uncommon for Jirou to rant about how much she _hated_ living with guys, or teenagers in general. Not to mention, there were certain tidbits that she accidentally overheard when she was bored that left her feeling... _bad_ for certain people.

She once overheard Kaminari talking to his mother on the phone about his ill grandmother, and she realized that she'd been berating him for his lack of focus for that whole week that she'd been dangerously ill. There were other times that she was subjugated to rather disheartening tidbits of information that left her seeing her classmates in a whole new light, as they smiled and pretended that they were okay.

And sometimes... she thanked her subtle abilities, because it gave her a better appreciation of the hidden strength some of her classmates had.

"What's up, Jirou?" Mina figured if Jirou ended up hearing something she didn't want to, it would give warning that they should cover their ears and just head straight into their rooms with loud music playing from their phones. If she heard something interesting... well... Mina couldn't promise she would stifle her curiosity.

It took a moment for the hearing heroine to speak, as she kept twisting her face into a look of confusion and pondering, before she finally spoke, slowly. "I... hear snoring. But it's so close."

Mina's face fell as she filed the information under 'not important'. "Oh... maybe someone fell asleep in the Common Area?" Hagakure suggested. It made sense; the guys would play video games out there from time to time... but when it got late, the usually retreated to their rooms to keep the competitions going so they could get comfortable. And they never hosted their own movie nights...

"It's multiple people," Jirou mumbled.

Yaoyorozu shrugged. "Well, we can respect them by being a bit quieter, but they should also know better than to fall asleep in a public area. Let's try to keep it down, though."

"Even if it's Mineta...?" Mina whispered, but no one responded - mostly because, no one probably wanted to. Using her student I.D., Yaoyorozu swiped her card and the familiar beep chime out as the door unlocked. With a finger to her lips, Yaoyorozu quietly walked inside, the flickering of the hall lighting up her figure as its motion-sensor detected the movement.

Quickly, she reached over and overrode the function with the switch, and slipped her shoes off, so as to walk throughout the dorms and not track mud. Everyone, by this point, knew of their classmates odd little tendencies, and for Yaoyorozu, she hated wearing shoes indoors - which everyone attributed to her rather luxurious lifestyle back at home.

The snoring that Jirou had mentioned earlier was finally audible for everyone that _didn't_ have superb hearing. It was soft, but it was definitely evident. A few girls exchanged a look with one another, unable to pinpoint who snored that softly. Even Jirou was unable to tell, and typically, she had a history of being able to decipher very small differences between one another.

Slowly, Yaoyorozu walked forward as the other girls followed her lead and removed their shoes, fumbling around in the dark and accidentally smacking one another (eliciting a hushed yelp from Hagakure as someone accidentally brushed against her without knowing), giggling the entire time. There was a sharp intake of breath from Momo, and the girls collectively stopped what they were doing and tried to lean around her to see what she was seeing - even if it was something that they _really_ didn't want to see.

"Oh..." Mina said, her eyes firmly locked on the image in front of her.

"My..." Uraraka mumbled.

"Gosh!" Hagakure nearly screamed, only to be silenced with a quick hand from nearly every girl. Since no one could see her mouth, they settled for basically tackling her to the floor, and throwing their body over where they assumed her mouth to be.

Why?

Because on the couch in front of them, was what Mina would swear was the cutest thing any of them would ever see in the dorms.

"Where's my phone?! I _need_ a picture of this!" Mina whispered. She rolled off of the invisible girl, ignoring the hiss that came from either Uraraka or Hagakure, and began fumbling around for her discarded purse. Uraraka was on her feet in seconds, her phone out and trained directly on the image in front of her. She smirked; it sometimes paid to not have a purse.

There, on the couch, laid a peacefully slumbering Midoriya. His chest rose and fell delicately, his breath faint as he traversed through dreamland, unhindered and unaware of the cooing girls just a few feet away. Snuggled up to his side was an unusually hatless Kota, who was more than content in his current position. His head was nestled against Midoriya's side, with the teenager's arm draped over him like a comforting blanket. A gentle, peaceful smile crossed his face - a stark abstract to the typical uncaring facade he wore during the day.

Eri had picked a much closer spot to her surrogate father - directly on top of Izuku. She was snug directly on his abdomen, using his chest as a pillow, not minding how her head rose and fell in rhythm with Midoriya's breathing. If anything, it probably lulled her to sleep faster. Her arms were wrapped around Midoriya's sides, keeping her close to his body's radiating warmth. The rest of her body was curled up in his lap, using his thighs are her support. She, surprisingly, was the one snoring the loudest, but it seemed that neither of the boys minded, as they slumbered on, unabated.

Her smile was pure, innocent, and _radiating._

The scene, as a whole, was so sweet that Yaoyorozu wasn't sure if she was going to get a cavity if she kept looking. Her heart fluttered and she brought a hand to her mouth as she quietly observed the trio. At one point, Eri yawned, and despite the fear that she was going to wake up, she just readjusted slightly and brought one of her hands to her head and nuzzled into Midoriya's chest further, sending another wave of butterflies throughout Yaoyorozu's belly.

Tsuyu, on the other hand, felt a pang of homesickness strike her as she recalled the memories of her siblings falling asleep with her in similar ways. It was something she'd come to miss when she began living at U.A., and seeing something so similar to her past, brought back strong memories. Nonetheless, she smiled softly; it was rare to see the entire 'family' get along so quietly when it seemed like their life was full of shenanigans.

"I guess that's why I didn't know who was snoring..." Jirou whispered off-handedly. She, also, was not immune to the tender scene between the two kids and their adoptive father. Admittedly, she hadn't seen much from the trio, as she was usually busy after classes with her music, or with private lessons in using her quirk from Present Mic. However, she made it a goal to get to know the children a bit better - she just never saw Midoriya interact with the children as common as Uraraka or Yaoyorozu.

Seeing them like this made her wish she did, though. From what she'd observed from Kota, he was a nice kid, but he tried to bottle his feelings up because he didn't want to acknowledge them as real. Midoriya was slowly breaking that habit down, though, and it looked like he'd taken another step.

Tsuyu was the first to pry her eyes away. "Maybe we should go back to our rooms and let them sleep in peace."

"Are you kidding?" Mina asked, still taking pictures. The pink-skinned girl was debating the idea of trying to slip into the small snuggle-fest and snag herself a place to sleep for the night, too, but ultimately, she'd never forgive herself for interrupting such a delicate nap. _Especially_ because she had no idea if this was common. If it wasn't - and that was likely - then it would only deter the trio from accidentally falling asleep like this more often. "This is so _cute_! I might never see them like this again!"

"It's like he's their daddy... aww~!" Hagakure cooed gently. She, too, had her phone out and was animatedly taking pictures. She was also tempted to try and add to their little pile... but like Mina, she would hate to interrupt anyone's sleep. Especially knowing how grouchy Kota could be when he woke up.

Uraraka folded her hand over her heart and smiled, wordlessly.

She'd been one of the first to watch the development of bonds between Midoriya and Kota, and Midoriya and Eri. He'd taken such a gentle approach with the both of them, but it had been so different between the two. He was so much more affectionate with Eri, because she'd been deprived that sensation for so long - yet, he was slower with her, too. While Eri was the first one he hugged, Kota was the first one to open up to Midoriya, which nobody knew.

To see the stage they were at now... made Uraraka nearly burst with happiness. She knew he was the perfect candidate to raise the two, and she had no doubts that he'd excel. Little did he know, she thought that he needed them as much as they needed him. He had friends and a promising career, but that didn't take away from his lack of a childhood. Being able to give a childhood to two children who were in danger of losing theirs... it would never replace his own... but it would give him a feel for what it could've been.

"I'm so glad... Deku..." Uraraka whispered to herself.

Yaoyorozu decided enough was enough - even though she was far from getting her fill of sweetness. She refused to be around when they woke up, because she knew with Midoriya's skittish nature, he'd have the entire dorm awake and wondering what happened when he began blinding trying to defend himself from the accusations that wouldn't even come.

"Alright girls, get your pictures and move on." She was surprised she was letting them take pictures - after all, this _was_ a rather personal scene. But seeing as how she'd guiltily snapped a single picture of her own, she couldn't really scold anyone else. Plus, she was getting the motherly urge to drape a blanket over their sleeping forms. "I really don't want to wake them."

Tsuyu was the first to agree, followed closely by Jirou. Mina grumbled about 'ruining fun', eliciting a giggle from Hagakure, but they, too, began to shuffle toward the elevator. Uraraka resisted any urges to walk over and give everyone a hug, or giving them a goodnight peck on the forehead, knowing the two kids would undoubtedly stir. Thinking about giving Deku a kiss caused her to become bright red and practically caused steam to erupt from her nose.

As the elevator doors closed, and the girls began to push the button for their respective floors, there was an immediate cooing.

"Aww!"

"Did you _see_ her yawn?!"

"Kota looked _so_ cute!"

Even Jirou couldn't resist making a comment. "That was... pretty sweet."

In the back of their minds, they all agreed on the same thing: Midoriya was a pretty good dad. And together, the entire trio was the sweetest thing on the planet.

When the morning would come, and everyone would come downstairs to see Midoriya cooking breakfast for the two drowsy children, no one was any the wiser... until Mina _accidentally_ sent out the pictures in a mass group chat, bringing about a whole round of embarrassment from Midoriya.


	5. Chapter 5

_Welcome back everyone! Nothing new to rep-_

 _OH I SO LIED!_

 _I do have something new... a chance for YOU! You can now vote for who you'd like to see be the 'mommy' for the two adorable munchkins in the upcoming chapter! I can already highlight how the next few chapters will go, and if you're expecting updates based on the upcoming U.S. holidays... you're right!_

 _So if you want to pick a lovely woman to win... you better vote, and vote now! The poll will be closed after I finish the next chapter... or sometime near it, who knows? I'm terrible at remembering._

ONE LAST THING!

 **I now have a Tumblr. I really want to interact with everyone, so I sucked it up and made one. Feel free to say hey, ask questions, or anything you want. You can find me on there as ScandinavianSensation, just like my username.**

 _ **That's all! Enjoy the chapter!**_

* * *

In an effort to give aspiring heroes an opportunity to feel like regular students, U.A. allowed students to host their own small costume party in the courtyards, and they also released classes for the day, giving the students a chance to go grab some last-minute supplies for their costumes. For the most part, the classes remained separated, but for certain groups, they didn't mind having one large party - a testament of peace to commence the beginning of the holiday season.

Between Iida and Kendo, it was decided that this year, Class 1-A and 1-B would cooperate in their efforts, and host one large-scale party, in an effort to improve relations between the two 'warring' classes. Of course, there was immediate opposition from Monoma, who was adamantly refusing to interact with Class 1-A, and she settled for the diplomatic route of simply telling him to stay in his room.

Otherwise, the plan went off without a hitch, and there was plenty of excitement among the junior class for the upcoming festives. Through the two weeks warning everyone was given, there was plenty of time for everyone to go and get their costumes. For a few students, they weren't particularly sure what they even wanted to go as - and the same held true for Midoriya.

He'd taken his two little followers to the local market, where a nearby warehouse had been rented out to display costume ideas for all ages. And while Eri and Kota had seen a few that they liked, overall, the store was too small, and the selection was too limited for either child to see something that they wanted. The both of them wanted to go as something unique - something that wasn't as common.

Now, they were sitting on a bench in the park, both children with an ice cream cone in-hand as they took a few minutes to relax before walking back to the dorms.

"You should be a superhero!"

Midoriya sighed, but smiled, and patted Eri on the top of her head, eliciting a frown and a blown raspberry as he tussled her hair. "I can't go as something I'm training to be."

"Why not?" Eri asked innocently.

"W-well... because I'm..." Midoriya trailed off awkwardly. He had no idea how to explain to her what he was thinking, because _technically_ , there was no reason he couldn't still go as a hero. And he'd _already_ dressed as All Might for the countless year before this year, so he kind of wanted to mix things up. Plus, he was trying to become his own hero, and the more he emulated All Might, the more he recognized they were significantly different. "I don't really know?"

"He's _already_ a hero, Eri," Kota interrupted. He was fondling with the small nubs on his hat in his lap. It was rare for him to have his hat off, but slowly, he'd been keeping it off when he was indoors after being scolded by Aunty Inko about being impolite, and although he wasn't inside, he wanted to try keeping it off at times to get used to the feeling. "He needs to be something else."

Eri nodded slowly, with a finger to her mouth. "Oh! That makes sense!"

"What about you two? Do you have any ideas?" In honesty, Midoriya had been paying attention more to the duo than he had been paying attention to his own tastes. He knew neither of them had really celebrated Halloween in the past - well, at least it was implied that Eri hadn't. He actually had no idea if Kota had or not, but judging by his visible excitement when he announced they were going costume shopping, it was assumed the Pussycat Heroes had been too busy to celebrate much.

Kota had been eying a rock-monster costume, but ultimately, it bore a little _too_ much resemblance to Muscular, and he'd seen Kota turn away from it with disdain. After that, Kota hadn't seemed terribly impressed with anything. Eri, on the other hand, was enamored with a fairy costume and a fiery devil costume, but she decided against the two after some intense internal debate. Truthfully, with her flowing snow white hair, he believed she'd pull off a fairly good devil-look, but he also wanted her to pick what she wanted.

"I-I have an idea." Kota's stutter caught Midoriya's attention, but his guardian knew better than to ask. Kota wasn't immediately open; he preferred to hold onto his thoughts until he had them sorted out, unlike Eri. He cleared his throat and kept talking, as if it had never happened. "But I don't think I'll find it here."

"Do you want to look somewhere else for it?"

Kota slowly shook his head. "It's okay... I know where I can find it."

"Me too! I know what I'm going as!"

Midoriya smiled. "What about you, Eri?"

She giggled and made the gesture of zipping her mouth. "It's a secret!"

Kota smiled toward Eri, and a look of understanding passed between the two children, though not without Midoriya noticing. But... subtly, he smiled. A warm feeling filled his chest as she two children whispered back and forth while he 'glanced' down at his phone, pretending like he wasn't paying attention. To see his two little munchkins getting along... it made him genuinely _happy._ Lately, they'd been getting along significantly better, and Midoriya suspected it had something to do with school.

It was good for them; they were slowly making friends, and in turn, their social skills were developing further. And, as Midoriya suspected, dealing with so many different people - including people that perhaps they didn't like - they began to find a new appreciation for each other when at home.

His phone lit up with a text message from Uraraka, which he quickly popped open. _'Are you busy?'_

 _'No, what's up?'_ He replied.

A gentle autumn breeze danced through the small park in the midst of the city square, bringing with it cooler temperatures and a few scattered, multicolored leaves, drawing Eri and Kota instinctively closer to a heat source - which turned out to be Midoriya. It was practically subconscious at this point, with the green-haired boy readjusting so that the two could nestle into his side. Even with the ambiance of the city all around them, the trio felt like they were in their own personal world.

"Maybe ask Yaomomo...?" Kota whispered gently to Eri. If the young boy thought that by leaning over Midoriya's lap would help mask his voice, then Midoriya would need to talk to him about stealth. But, he continued to 'pretend' he couldn't hear the two plotting away. Whatever it was that they wanted, he knew better than to rain on their parade.

Another buzz emitted from his phone, and this time, Midoriya _did_ let himself get distracted. _'A few of us were going to make some SPOOKY snacks if you wanted to come back and help!'_

 _'Yeah!'_ He smiled in earnest. The first time he'd made western-style Halloween snacks with his classmates, he'd thoroughly enjoyed himself, and found himself looking forward to the next time he got to cook with everyone. It had been messy, but the delicious aroma paired with the laughs made the experience highly worth the clean-up. _'Is it okay to have Kota and Eri help?'_

While he knew that none of his classmates would mind their involvement, he still wanted to make sure. Maybe it was because he was still skittish when it came to social interactions and accidentally messing up, that made him want to seek reassurance, or maybe it was just because that was the polite thing to do; but he still found it better to ask and make sure.

Waiting for a reply, Midoriya felt a gentle squeeze from Eri as she trembled ever-so-slightly as the breeze swirled around the trio once again, this time, sending goosebumps down the green-haired boy's spine. Regardless of whether it was okay or not - which he highly suspected it would be - it was time to head back to the dorms, anyways, lest they want to catch colds.

And, Midoriya _really_ didn't want to see either of his little ones have to deal with illness.

"What do you guys say to heading back?" Both Eri and Kota had finished their ice-cream (despite the chilly weather), and nodded eagerly at the prospect of heading to the warmth of the indoor world. Midoriya realized he'd have to check the weather from here on out, otherwise, he'd be playing doctor more than he liked.

A vibration alerted Midoriya to a text back, and he smiled when he read it. _'Definitely!'_

An idea occurred to Midoriya, and he smiled softly. "You know... if we get back fast enough, we can probably make some snacks."

"C'mon, Slowpoke!" Kota urged, beginning to run ahead once he heard the prospect of sweets. Eri giggled loudly, tugging on Midoriya's arm.

"Izu, run!"

* * *

The night of the Halloween party came, finally, and for Class 1-A, it couldn't have come sooner. Marred by test after test, followed by the increasing workload of preparing for graduation, the entirety of the student body was wearing down day-by-day. It almost seemed like a miracle that they'd gotten a day off, and several students used the free-day to sleep as late as they could without sleeping the whole day away.

Eri, surprisingly, was a late riser - something that Midoriya hadn't exactly expected. Her first few weeks with him were marked by consistent nightmares and constant insomnia, but eventually, the nightmares gave way to pleasant dreams and late-sleeping. Kota was also a lover of sleeping in, but he often woke up accidentally due to his habit of being a light sleeper, and he'd awaken whenever Midoriya went his morning runs or workouts.

Today, however, Midoriya noticed that both Eri and Kota were up far earlier than normal, and were more evasive than usual, as well. Throughout the day, it was rare to see them together - almost as if one of them was dedicated to distracting Midoriya from something. He hadn't the foggiest idea where the other little one was, but he decided to accept that he should let them go through with their plans and he'd just ask later after the party.

"Y-you stole my costume!"

"No! You stole _my_ costume!"

Midoriya sweat-dropped as Kirishima and TetsuTetsu immediately pointed at one another, a look of disbelief on each other's face as they _somehow_ had decided on identical costumes. They'd both opted to dress as 'kung fu warriors', because, as Kirishima said, he was 'an unmoveable man, and there was nothing manlier than warrior of the body'.

"That's actually impressive..." Ojiro said quietly, scratching at the back of his head in amusement. He'd opted for dressing as some orc-ish looking creature, letting his tail hang limply and drag on the floor ominously.

Hagakure bounced up to Ojiro animatedly, wearing chains around what seemed to be her wrist and ankles. They dangled in mid-air, casting the illusion of a her being a ghost. "I think they coordinate it!"

"Oh, Hagakure!" Ojiro took in her simple costume, but smiled at its simplicity, yet charming illusion. "I like your costume!"

She bounced in place happily, rattling the chains against one another as she presumably clapped her hands. "Thank you! I'm like a ghost! _Ohhhh~_ "

Part of Midoriya recalled what Ashido had once said about the two of them needing to just get together already, and he smiled softly as he watched them interact. Ojiro was honorable - that much became obvious after the first Sports Festival, but if nothing else, he was kind and attentive. Hagakure, in a moment of unusual sorrow, had once admitted to Midoriya that she disliked her quirk, because it became hard for her to feel like she was part of anything. He'd comforted her, and she'd later admitted the same thing to Ojiro, bringing them just a tad closer than before.

"Wow, Izu~" He froze. He _knew_ that flirty tone. "You look _delicious~_ "

Like he was impersonating a pole, he stood ramrod straight, and sSlowly, Midoriya turned around, catching the amused eye of Ashido. Her costume was _very_ simple. She had red shoes on, and wore a pink jumpsuit that practically blended into her skin, making her appear nude at first, sending Midoriya into a blushing fit. He barely noticed her star-wand, or the hammer latched onto her back.

"A-A-A-Ashido!" He tried to block his vision to Ashido's amusement, her laugh jingling lightly in the crisp autumn air, sending an odd flutter through Midoriya's heart. She grinned widely, and grabbed Midoriya's wrists, moving his hands from in front of his face.

"Relax, _Dekuman_ , I'm clothed," she teased.

To her word, she _was_ clothed, it just didn't exactly seem that way. But as he actually looked, he could notice the subtle differences in pink, with her leotard being a darker pink. She also had two pink blush marks on her cheeks, obviously put there via make-up. She cocked her hip to the side and crossed her arms, smirking as she noticed Midoriya taking in her costume.

"Someone's been caught staring!" Kaminari said from behind, grinning widely, slinging an arm around Midoriya's shoulders. He was dressed as a classic Western comic hero - Static Shock, and looked fairly cool, in Midoriya's opinion. He laughed at Midoriya's flustered face. "Relax; it happens to all of us!"

Midoriya sighed in defeat, prompting more laughter from Ashido and Kaminari. "I was just trying to figure out her costume..."

"I'm Kirby! Duh!" Now that she mentioned it, he could see the resemblance. The only thing that messed up the image was her lack of being... a round ball. "I gotta say, you pulled off that Spiderman costume _really_ well."

He'd decided to become 'Spiderman', simply because of the lore behind his existence, according to comics, as well as Eri's suggestion. He hadn't planned on going as a hero, but ultimately, he procrastinated for too long, and had to settle for a rather common costume. But he wasn't upset with going as Spiderman - after all, the masked webslinger was considered one of the top heroes in his comics; a pure and true hero. The exact thing that Midoriya wanted to be.

"Those tights are pretty... tight," Ashido said with a teasing grin, but a sparkle in her eye. Before she could keep teasing, Kaminari noticed something.

"Hey, where are Eri and Kota? I figured they'd be latched onto you."

Midoriya put a finger to his chin and looked skyward as he tried to recall what he'd been told earlier. He didn't even notice Ashido freeze up and shoot Kaminari a warning look. "I think they're getting dressed, still. They said they didn't want my help."

"Aww, are the little ones all grown up?" Kaminari laughed as he pat Midoriya on the back, while the green-haired teen quietly thought to himself.

There would be a time where they wouldn't need him anymore. Once they learned to harness their quirks in the best way possible, and they slowly grew into their teen years, they'd inevitably begin to branch off and rely more on their friends... much like everyone at U.A. was doing. He was the lone exception - his mother was all he'd had for the greater part of his life... he couldn't bare to phase her out now. In all honesty, he wouldn't really be able to stray far from her, even in the far future.

She just meant too much to him.

But... at the same time, it was bound to happen, and he'd smile when he saw them do great things. They'd still love him, and it was only natural that everyone grow up eventually. He'd just have to make the most of the time he had now. Besides, he knew that they were still quite a few years from even trying to separate themselves from him. Eri could barely sleep at night unless he was nearby, and Kota was still seeking reassurance like it was vital to his life.

He smiled. No, they still needed him, and he'd be right there for them, every step of the way.

"W-whoa dude." A look of panic spread across Kaminari's face as he looked at Midoriya. "I didn't - it was a joke, they're still, I mean-"

" _What_ he's trying to say," Mina said slowly and deliberately, shooting the yellow-haired boy a look that clearly meant _'shut-your-mouth'_ , which he obliged by immediately, "is that you're raising them so well, and it shows by their comfort being away from you."

Despite knowing that wasn't _really_ what he meant, Midoriya smiled good-naturedly and rubbed the back of his head. "T-thanks, Ashido. But... it's okay." A genuine, full smile broke across Midoriya's face as he thought about how far the two children had come since falling into his custody. "One day they'll be grown up. And... that's good."

And he meant it.

"Maybe so..." A pleased, and slightly - _was that smugness? -_ voice came from behind Midoriya, and he turned to see Yaoyorozu, garbed neatly in a white lab-coat with her long, silky hair jutting out wildly, unlike her usually stylish ponytail. She also had a pair of glasses on, though they lacked the lens. Finally, she had colored contact lens in, giving her the suggested look of a crazy scientist. "But today isn't that day."

From under her oversized coat, two smaller people emerged, both wearing the same costume. Midoriya's breath hitched and his emerald eyes widened as he went spiraling down memory lane, staring at the two doppelgängers in front of him.

Even with the hood that draped slightly over her sapphire eyes, Midoriya easily deciphered Eri's appearance, and realized it was Kota next to her. They both had on Midoriya's _original_ costume - the very same costume his mother had designed him back in his first term of U.A., where he'd opted to go with the home-look, instead of relying on the Support Companies to make him anything.

From the make-shift knee pads, to the bunny-ears he'd become somewhat famous for back when he'd sported them, to the signature red shoes that he _still (!)_ wore to this day, their costumes even had his mouthpiece that he'd intended to be a crude impersonation of All Might's smile. Truthfully, it was almost like looking back in time at his younger self... and it made him feel... strange. Like a warm bubble had grown in his chest, and was spreading a gentle warmth throughout his body.

"W-what...?"

Kota nervously scuffled the ground, unable to look his guardian in the eye. The party had long since gone quiet, everyone holding their breaths and quietly snapping pictures of the tender family moment. Even Class 1-B realized the significance, and quieted down, watching the developing scene with amusement. Eri coughed quietly, and spread her arms out slowly, slightly spooked by the sudden spotlight.

It was as if a proverbial stage-light was shining on the trio, and she was nearly sweating in the heat of the smoldering light.

"Ta... da?" It sounded more like a question, than a surprise, but knowing how shy and awkward Midoriya could be, most everyone recognized it was probably the best Eri could do with whom she was learning from. Plus, with the way her costume was just a _bit_ too big and ended up going just past her fingertips, it was just that much cuter for everyone watching, and almost everyone felt their heart squeeze.

It was all too much for Midoriya, as tears prickled in his eyes. "Y-you're going as... m-me?"

"We... w-we wanted to go as our hero..." Kota mumbled, still gazing down intently, as if he'd be frozen like a statue if he looked up. "A-and..."

"You're our hero...!" It might have been the way her voice rose, just ever-so-slightly, enough to bring a sense of familiarity over the members of Class 1-A, or maybe it was the way her fists balled up within the sleeves of her oversized costume, but for just a moment, there was a familiar fanboy, suiting up for the first time, and proclaiming his intent to be the best hero he could be.

Even Kota, with his timid look, sent waves of déjà vu coursing through the onlookers, as his eyes shone brightly, displaying the truth he internalized.

The green-haired teenager rushed forward - with what _might_ have been Full-Cowl - and engulfed the two children in a bone-crushing hug, which they eagerly returned. They all did their best to not cry, and no one knew who cried first, but upon the first tear, countless more joined it, as Midoriya sobbed for the 'two-best-kids-anyone-could-ever-have', and everyone could only laugh as they watched.

"Group hug!" Uraraka claimed suddenly. She couldn't help but feel left out, and wanted to do _something_ to show her joy at the sweet family display.

Ashido laughed and nearly tackled Midoriya - who was kept upright by Shoji - and was quickly followed by almost all of Class 1-A, minus a select few. Even Yaoyorozu decided to join in, and quickly found herself smothered by arms and shoulders, though she sighed good-naturedly and silently hoped Mineta wasn't preying somewhere within the dogpile, otherwise she'd have to scold him something fierce for displaying such perverse tendencies in front of children.

"Alright, who's ready to bob for apples?"

"Sato, where are all the sweets?!"

"MINETA, IF THAT WAS YOU, I SWEAR IT WILL NOT BE PLEASANT!"

As the crowd broke off, Midoriya sighed happily, squeezing the two children to his side, and placing a soft kiss to their hair.

Under the moon, he spoke softly, causing the two to burrow into his side further.

"You two are _my_ heroes."


	6. Chapter 6

_I do not own anything you see here!_

 _And that was also my disclaimer, if somehow that was not explanative enough. Anyways!_

 _So the voting has begun and there's definitely a fire under everyone, because I don't know if I've ever seen it so even. There was an early lead from Mina, but Uraraka is bringing it back, while Yaoyorozu holds a steady second place. Tsuyu has been quiet, as has Jirou and Hagakure, but I suspect that's from a lack of involvement. So! To highlight that, I will extend the voting for one more chapter, and in doing so, I'll introduce this little ditty!_

 _A short feature of each girl getting their independent time with the children! If that makes you want to change your vote, then so be! Otherwise, starting this chapter, I'll be counting the base votes in the poll, the review votes (one per person) and anyone on Tumblr that votes (ScandinavianSensation, if you don't know). If I notice a particular bias, I'll factor in possible tampering via multiple votes. Also, one other thing to consider._

 _There are TWO children. Ergo, there MIGHT be two mothers. I don't know. Just something to consider. Kids aren't all the same, and there's no reason that they can't have differing opinions. It'll just matter on who comes out on top, and how the voting looks._

 _Either way, I won't be taking away from anyone, and expect other characters, such as Sato and some of those lesser seen characters, to get their chances to shine here in the upcoming chapters. I hope this voting doesn't result in people deciding they don't want to read anymore, because that'd be rather unfortunate. It's just a fun little thing to get some involvement in the story from you, the fans!_

 _So enjoy and vote!_

* * *

 **Jirou**

Truthfully, Jirou had no clue why Midoriya asked her to watch the two things he held closest to his heart nowadays. She admitted, yeah, she liked the little tykes, and she _had_ wanted to get to know the duo better... but that was on a basis that wasn't... _this!_ She was completely unprepared to take care of a child, let alone two, all while being alone!

 _"I need to accompany Bubble Girl on this recon mission... I-if you don't mind, I'd really appreciate if you could watch Eri and Kota for the day!"_

She didn't mind. But that didn't mean she was ready to do it, either.

Eri was, for all intensive purposes, a timid kitten. Her eyes, wide and full of curiosity, shone brightly in the light, and between her and Midoriya's, it was hard to tell who had the more vibrant orbs. His emerald eyes were hard to say no to, but Eri's were near impossible. Her withdrawn tendencies when speaking only made her that much more difficult to say no to, and she was so soft-spoken that it seemed Jirou had to _strain_ to hear her.

On the flip-side, Kota was easier to care for, but much more difficult, strangely enough. He was independent - still - and he had tendencies to brush off people that weren't Midoriya. Which, unfortunately, was everyone. But as headstrong as he could be, he was terrible at masking his interest. He was smart and he _wanted_ to learn - a trait he probably picked up from Midoriya, unwittingly. And, ultimately, it was only thanks to that little fact that Jirou was able to bond with the two at all.

She'd decided to let Eri draw - something Midoriya adamantly recommended for the snow-haired girl to keep her from becoming overwhelmed without his presence - and Kota seemed plenty invested in his homework he was doing, so the sound-based heroine plugged one of her earjacks into her phone, and idly twirled the other while she carefully constructed the sentences that Present Mic had assigned the class for homework. She scowled; English was her _least_ favorite subject, to the surprise of most of her peers.

While it wasn't hard, _persay_ , most of the words had multiple meanings, and she struggled to spell them based on how they sounded. She could hardly imagine any person growing up with the language - it was insane!

She leaned back in her seat, sighing loudly and trying to keep from blasting the paper in front of her with a good few soundwaves. While it would do very little, it would feel good, and just the prospect of that was tempting. From the corner of her eye, she spied Kota's attention diverted from his homework, and she turned in her chair to get a better look at what he was focused on. She followed his gaze toward her Jackson guitar, and she smirked.

So the kid had a little music in his soul, huh?

"Hey." Kota's gaze suddenly shot toward Jirou, and his eyes averted to the ground, as if he was ashamed to be caught. She frowned. "Relax. You ever played?"

Kota slowly looked up, but kept his eyes diverted. "No..."

She rolled her eyes; he could give her a little more to go off of, couldn't he? This was just as hard for her - not everyone was a goodie-goodie like Midoriya.

"C'mere," she said, standing up and popping a few of her joints. She sighed, this time in pleasure, as she loudly cracked her back, filling the room with almost a shotgun like sound. She walked over to the royal blue wonder she'd come to dedicate most of her spare time to, and gently picked it up from its stand, making sure the amp cord was unplugged before she moved it. Kota slowly stood up and awkward stood by her as she sat on the edge of her bed.

She snorted softly. "I mean, come _here._ " She pat the spot next to her for emphasis, which got the point across. From the ground, Eri gently peeked up from her drawing, intrigued.

Gently, like she'd done it a million times (and, if she'd been counting, there was a really good chance she'd done it over a million times) she ran her fingers along the strings. The hum that came from the strings sent a wave of pleasure through Jirou, with shivers down her spine as she felt herself slowly ease into the music - like a bout of painkillers, only they were dulling the frustration that had come from the events of the day.

Kota watched in keen interest as her fingers danced along the strings, creating a beautiful, low euphony that seemed to dance in the air magically, brightening the room by just a touch. He smiled and closed his eyes, and a ghost of a smile touched Jirou's lips as well. She continued strumming, feeling the music vibrate her soul and spread throughout her body like a branching warmth.

"You like it?" While it was tempting to sing it, Jirou wouldn't pretend that she could sing. She had good pitch, but she just lacked the vocal discipline for singing - besides, she enjoyed the feelings she could create _without_ words.

Kota nodded wordlessly. "I could teach ya something if you like," Jirou said casually. She watched in contained amusement as he opened his eyes suddenly; a look of excitement flashing deep within.

"R-really?"

She shrugged. "Yeah, sure. But I have one condition." Kota looked uncertain, but nodded slowly. "You gotta pick what kind of instrument."

Just like that, the look of excitement returned, and Jirou felt another type of warmth cascade through her soul; though, this time, it wasn't brought upon by music. She'd never had siblings, and she was hardly the 'doting' friend, so she didn't precisely know what it meant to be motherly toward anyone, but in that moment, she imagined, this was probably how she'd really get to bond with her child, should she ever have one.

Maybe they wouldn't like music (unlikely, but entirely possibly), but somehow, she knew they'd just _find_ a way to click. Her mother, for instance, wasn't the best at opening up to people, and for awhile, she seemed somewhat indifferent toward interacting with Kyoka when she was young - but that all changed once she was old enough to understand the beauty of music. Once they shared their first song together, it all changed.

"Can it be the drums?"

 _Of course_ it had to be the one type of instrument she didn't play. They were too loud - too damaging to her sensitive ears.

She must've had some type of look on her face, because Kota frowned, and looked away. "If not... that's okay..."

An unfamiliar feeling tugged at her heartstrings, and she grimaced, before cursing under her breath. She wasn't foreign to the feeling of guilt - though she wished she was - and she knew when it was rearing its ugly head. "H-hey, I did say you get to pick."

Slowly, he looked up, and the hope that shined in his eyes drove her a step further. She sighed; somehow, this would come back to bite her... but it would make the kid happy, and ultimately, that's what mattered. Plus, Midoriya _had_ said to look after the duo, and she owed him for some notes he'd taken for her while she was sick a few weeks ago. While it hadn't been what she was expecting when he'd asked a favor, she wasn't going to turn him down when he _needed_ her.

Besides... this would teach him to say 'no' to them once in awhile. Unless he wanted a splitting headache all the time.

"I'll text someone - he has a set at home, and I'm sure he could bring them over sometime." Kaminari most _certainly_ would be willing to show off, if she knew the yellow-haired dolt like she thought she did. He'd be skeptical at first, and he'd definitely complain incessantly about having to haul around all the equipment, but once Kota got to hear him play once, she was practically positive he'd do it a million times over.

She almost rolled her eyes. What some people would do for compliments.

"In the meantime, I'll..." she thought for a second. There had to be something important he could do in the meantime, right? Her eyes fell on some of her classical music records, and a lightbulb went off in her head. "I'll show you how to read music, cool?"

"Cool!" It was clear he'd meant to sound cool about it, but the excitement in his voice caused a bit more enthusiasm to slip in than he'd planned, and the word sounded off, eliciting a soft laugh from Jirou.

"I wanna learn something, too!" Eri proclaimed suddenly, her coloring book all but forgotten.

Jirou smiled and casually strummed the strings as she chalked this experience up as a 'W'. The world of music might be changing, but with these two, she could at least keep the culture rich. Plus, what was music without new talent?

* * *

 **Hagakure**

The lithe form of the 'Invisible Girl' swayed in place, her skirt swishing from side to side like the pendulum of a clock as she carefully styled Eri's long snowy hair, being sure not to tug too hard otherwise the small girl would yelp out in pain. She was biting her lip - not that anyone could see - as she tried to finesse a bundle of Eri's hair through a tight loop.

"A-almost...!" Hagakure muttered with strain. Her eyes narrowed as she subconsciously held her breath; hoping maybe the lack of breathing would aid her in her quest to finish the young girl's new hairstyle.

With one final push, the cord of hair slipped through the loop, and Hagakure exhaled in relief, pulling the hair tightly before pushing backward in her chair to revel in her work. "Perfect!"

Eri tried to turn around to see her hair, but as she turned, so did her braids, prompting a cute giggle from the invisible teen. She fished her phone from her bag that sat lifelessly on her bed, and quickly snapped a picture, before handing the device to Eri. She awed and cooed over the new style, and Hagakure could practically _see_ the delight that shone in her eyes.

"W-wow!" Eri continued to fawn over her new braids, gently touching the end of her hair with her fingers, as if afraid the contact would cause her hair to revert back to normal. "It's so pretty!"

" _You're_ so pretty!" Hagakure gushed. And she meant it. With eyes that shimmered ruby red, the light only increased the emotion that could be found glimmering within, and they seemed to sparkle whenever she smiled - which, nowadays, was far more often then Eri could ever recall. Her skin was a creamy white, further complimenting her eyes, and even with the scars that littered her arms and legs, she still had the cutest face Hagakure had laid eyes on. The single horn atop her head only gave her a mystical look, and more often than not, Hagakure often forgot it was even there.

While nobody would be confusing Eri as actually being Midoriya's child (which had happened once, as they shared similar personalities), Hagakure was far from hesitant in admitting she could see the two actually being related.

"Yeah, yeah, everyone's pretty." Hagakure smiled; she hadn't forgotten about Kota, although from the grumble in the boy's words, it was clear he didn't think the same way. "Can we do something please?"

"Do you want a make-over too?" Eri asked innocently. Kota's frown turned into a look of reserved panic - he'd lived with the Pussycat Heroes long enough to know that anytime a female wanted to do a make-over, it was akin to the end of the world. He stumbled as he jumped to his feet, putting both hands forward in an attempt to ward off the approaching storm.

The fear in his eyes almost caused Hagakure to burst out laughing. "N-no! I want to something fun!"

"But this _is_ fun!" Eri argued.

"Maybe for you..."

"It would be for you, too!"

"No it wouldn't! I'm not a girl!"

"What does that have to do with anything?"

Hagakure could sense the building argument, though she had no idea how to prevent it. It occurred to her that, despite all the times that the duo was with Midoriya, they'd never actually fought one another - at least, not in the public's eyes. Then again, it was just possible that Midoriya's presence was enough to dissuade any type of argument from even building up.

She feebly put her arms up, though it did very little as the two children couldn't see her arms, even with her uniform on.

"Girls like stuff like that, don't they?" Kota's voice was growing louder.

Eri's frown grew more pronounced and her eyes took on a stormy look. "You don't know that!"

"HEY!" Both children froze, startled by the sudden noise. Hagakure immediately clasped her hands over her mouth as it occurred to her just how loud she'd shouted. She coughed lightly, hoping to alleviate the sudden heat that had spread across her face. "I-I don't think you two should be fighting. Kota, just because we're girls, doesn't mean we only like fashion. And Eri, not everyone thinks the same things are fun. Sometimes, we have to do a few things to find something that everyone enjoys."

Being a single child meant that Hagakure didn't have younger siblings that she had to watch over as a child. It also meant she'd never scolded anyone before; _especially_ not two young children. She'd read plenty of books where the protagonist had to scold a bunch of feuding siblings, and the way they'd always done it involving playing the middle-man and not taking side, which she decided was the easiest route in this particular case.

Both kids sheepishly looked away; in Kota's case, his gaze turned toward his feet, while Eri's attention was directed toward wringing her hands together slowly. Hagakure paused, trying to think of what to say next with the sudden blanket of silence that had fallen upon them.

"Uh... you should apologize to one another, I think."

They looked at each other, before diverting their looks once more - whether from embarrassment or not, that part was unbeknownst to the invisible heroine.

Finally, after a moment of silence, Kota stuffed his hands in his pockets and grumbled quietly. "I-I'm sorry I said that stuff..."

"I'm sorry I tried to force you to think this was fun..."

While they both had apologized, it didn't look like either Eri nor Kota felt any better afterward. In fact, Hagakure couldn't help but wonder if they looked even more miserable. Had she done the wrong thing? Maybe they hadn't wanted to apologize yet... or maybe they weren't ready to? She groaned; this whole thing was harder than it looked.

"It's okay to make mistakes." Hagakure recalled what her mother used to tell her when she'd get into arguments with her cousins. While it didn't frequently happen, it occurred enough to earn a few scoldings, and after each one, the young invisible girl felt awful for what she'd said, despite having her apology accepted. "Just learn from them, and understand everyone's different, okay?"

"T-that sounds like something Izuku would say..." Eri mumbled quietly. Hagakure smiled, bobbing her head to the side, the bow in her hair dancing with her movements, and nodded enthusiastically.

"Exactly! And I'm sure he wouldn't want you feeling down about a little mistake!"

Both Kota and Eri noticeably perked up, the room suddenly seeming a little bit brighter as identical smiles broke out on both children's faces. They gave each other a look - and for a second, Hagakure was worried they were going to lose their blooming joy - before sheepishly giving each other a hug, despite Kota's obvious reluctance. He caved when Eri didn't give him room to move away.

"Aww!" Seeing the two little ones hug caused a flutter in the teenager girl's heart, before a lightbulb went off in her head and she jumped up, excitement radiating from her features. "Let's take adorable photos! It'll be fun!"

She didn't see the identical looks of contained fear that spread symmetrically across the siblings' faces. Not that it would stop her. She was determined to have fun.

* * *

 **Uraraka**

"W-wow!" Eri whispered. While she hadn't intended to say it aloud, she didn't mind that anyone else had heard, because she was sure her excitement was plenty visible for anyone with even the worst vision. Her hands were balled into fists as she sat cross-legged in front of the T.V., though she was ready to jump up at the next big thing that happened - like she had several times already. "He's so... cool!"

Kota wordlessly nodded. He hadn't seen this fight when it aired live, but the first time he was introduced to it after being saved by the same teenager as seen on television, he was completely and utterly addicted. He wasn't really sure why, to be honest. The scene itself was... slightly scarring, if he was honest. He was watching his caretaker break his bones like it was nothing, using the same shattered limbs to throw more punches, and then going a step further and nearly _pulverizing_ his already broken bones. The blood that dripped from his wounds, along with the nasty bruising that discolored his skin... it was far from 'child-friendly'.

He was just glad that Uraraka didn't seem to care.

In fact, it was her idea to watch her class's Sports Festival from their first year, anyways. She had been fairly relaxed for the majority - although she had jumped in excitement when Midoriya took first in the Obstacle Race, and she bowed her head in embarrassment during her fight with Bakugou - once the fight between Midoriya and Todoroki had come on, she was animatedly punching and flicking the air in the same way Midoriya did to counter the half-and-half's ice quirk.

"... And right here, he goes _BOOM_!" Uraraka shouted, swinging her fist as Midoriya's fist made contact with a motionless Todoroki, sending him sprawling backward and ripping the ice shards flying from the fabric of his uniform. Uraraka's grin was contagious, and despite the damage being done to both of her classmates, it seemed like she was just as enthralled by the fight as the two kids were.

On the screen, it was shown that Midoriya was yelling something, although it was inaudible due the camera's further proximities. Eri took immediate notice. "What's he saying...?"

Uraraka paused the fight and smiled warmly. "Well... I couldn't hear everything, but Jirou said that he was telling Todoroki that the fire part of his quirk doesn't belong to anyone else."

"Huh?" Simultaneously, both Kota and Eri tilted their heads in confusion. Uraraka began to rub the back of her head, but took a seat in front of the two and tried to recall the story to the best of her ability.

"You see... Todoroki's father is Endeavor, although I'm sure you already knew that. But Endeavor isn't a great dad, from what I've heard. And because of that, Todoroki didn't want to use the fire-half of his quirk, because it would be acknowledging his father's power." Kota looked to his hands and silently, thought to himself, remembering his reluctance to use his quirk due to his parents. While the history wasn't the same... the principles were somewhat similar. Uraraka continued. "But Deku didn't care about that!"

"He yelled at Todoroki because everyone was giving their all - except him! I-I mean, I get why he didn't want to... but Deku wasn't happy about that. So, he told him that the power he has... is his own. No matter who he gets it from, or who his parents are, their quirk isn't his, and his isn't theirs. No matter what Endeavor said, it didn't make them the same person."

"I... kinda get it..." Eri said slowly. In truth, she understood the idea behind Midoriya's message, although it was a little confusion to hear without having any type of backstory. "Endeavor's quirk is Endeavor's quirk. And Todoroki's quirk is Todoroki's."

"Exactly!" Uraraka pumped a fist into the air, but brought it down as her face settled into a more relaxed and thoughtful look, before she rested her hand back on her leg. "I didn't really know... why he chose then of all times to say that. He could've won the fight - I think everyone, including Todoroki - acknowledged that if Deku hadn't said anything, he probably could've won. Of course, Todoroki was still capable of fighting, so maybe not, but anyways, after thinking about it... I realized why he did it."

A look of admiration highlighted Uraraka's expression. "He's a hero, all the time."

Kota couldn't argue with that, and as he shot a glance over at Eri, with the expression on her face, he immediately knew that she couldn't either. He was _their_ hero.

"Did he save you, too?" Eri knew that look; she saw it in Kota, and she sometimes saw it in herself when she was cleaning up in the mirror in the mornings - that slight gleam that would appear in her eye when Izuku would call Eri for breakfast; just his voice being a reminder of the life that he'd given her. If she hadn't seen it in Kota, she might never have placed a name to it, but when it appeared only after she was free from her prison... she knew the truth.

And sure enough, Uraraka smiled bashfully. "Y-yeah, he did. It was during our initial exam before we were actually U.A. students. I was... trapped under debris and couldn't really touch the boulder that was holding me down, and there was a gigantic robot that was rolling my way. I don't know if it would've ran me over or not..." Uraraka looked uneasy, but continued nonetheless, "but Deku jumped in and BAM!"

She popped up and swung her fist like she had earlier, this time, spinning for effect. "And blew it up! Like nothing!"

Her excitement dwindled as she sat back down, a faraway look glazing her eyes. "I... I want to be a hero, too. That's why I'm here. And even though he's grown so much... I have my own goals." A determined look settled in her eye, the smile she wore thinning, but remaining on her face, as she clenched her fist and turned to the kids next to her. "Someday, you two will know what you want, and you'll get the chance to walk down that path. It's okay to think of others, but make sure you put your own goals first."

"Do you think you aren't?" Kota almost clamped his hands over his mouth when he realized that _he'd_ been the one to ask. Uraraka looked surprised, but to Kota's relief, she didn't look angry or offended that he'd ask, instead, she began the poke her fingers together and shrugged.

"W-well, I think sometimes I get a little distracted... b-but I'm pretty focused!"

Eri giggled. "So your homework is done?"

"I-it is!"

"Izu said it wasn't!" Eri continued to tease. "He said Satou made treats and you didn't want to leave!"

"It would've been rude to _not_ taste them for him!" She almost crossed her arms, but an idea came to her. "C'mere!"

With just a touch, Eri was floating helplessly in the air, but the young snow-haired girl was only laughing harder as she spun and twirled in the air like a dancer. "You aren't distracted now, huh?"

Kota smiled softly as he watched Eri continue to tease the older girl, with Uraraka laughing along, spinning his sibling in the air, causing her to gain momentum and squeal with excitement. This was _significantly_ better that having tens of thousands of photos taken of him. Besides; he would never pass up a chance to learn about his favorite hero.

* * *

 **Asui**

Fact: Eri couldn't swim.

Fact: Kota _loved_ the water.

Fact: It was a constant argument between the two.

Tsuyu blinked uneasily as Kota laughed and splashed water on an unsuspecting Eri, who scowled and stuck her tongue out at her foster brother as she tried to shake off the water. "Stop it!"

The water was far from cold - thanks to U.A. and their outrageous budget - but for the life of her, Tsuyu couldn't quite figure out _why_ Eri was so resistant to having the water touch her. She had changed into a bathing suit, and even gone as far as to bring a towel with her - but once the water was within sight, she suddenly kept as far back from the glassy surface as she could.

She even eyed it with rather impressive disdain - a look that was admittedly foreign on Eri's cute face.

Kota rolled his eyes before taking a deep breath and plunging underwater, using his quirk to rapidly move underwater like he was being pushed by a jet. He hadn't practiced with his quirk too much in the water, but he couldn't help but admit he missed the pool _way_ too much. The Pussycats springs were the closest thing to a pool they'd had, so going underwater wasn't advisable for very long, due to the heat.

"Eri, is there something wrong?" Tsuyu asked as she paddled over to the edge closest to Eri. The girl frowned and looked away, folding her arms around herself like she was trying to hug herself.

She slowly shook her head, but that did little to convince Tsuyu of anything.

"Do you not like water?"

Eri remained silent.

"Are you scared of it?"

"No!" Eri said defiantly, surprising both Kota (who had resurfaced) and Tsuyu. She realized how loud she'd been and sighed quietly, lowering her voice as she spoke again. "I-I just don't want to get wet."

It didn't exactly scream out 'rational excuse', nor did it appease Tsuyu's curiosity, and Eri could read the disbelief on the frog girl's face without even having to try. As young as she was, she was far more mature than simply not wanting to get wet. But she didn't want to be honest - not when Kota was going to make fun of her.

How was she supposed to tell anyone that her father hadn't been around long enough to teach her to swim? She was sure that they could guess the man that had held her prisoner for so long was the furthest thing from a teacher and could care less about her abilities to move freely in the water. While he'd been above torture, she sometimes had nightmares that he would drown her to keep her under his command, and not being able to swim did little to appease it.

She knew she could be honest with Tsuyu, but for whatever reason, she just couldn't stand the embarrassment of having Kota tease her for something like that - especially when he seemed to swim so well! She almost pouted when she watched him move gracefully through the water. She wanted to be able to swim like that!

Tsuyu, thankfully, was significantly more observant than Kota, and picked up on the stutter in her voice, before realizing her posture was to avoid being near the water. She wasn't particularly sure on how to approach something like this - no one in her family was scared of the water. Her brother and sister both had the same quirk as her and her parents; they _all_ adored the water like it was a second home.

 _Ribbit._ "Why not put a foot in?"

Eri shook her head. "No... I-I'm good."

 _Well that didn't work_ , Tsuyu reflected. Admittedly, it was beyond a long-shot, so she was far from dissuaded. Instead, she pulled herself out the water and sat down on the edge of the pool, with her feet still submerged and pat the spot next to her. "I promise, you won't get that wet." She even shot Kota a look that he clearly saw, and understood, judging by his return look.

With a bit of her lip, Eri hesitated. She... kind of wanted to. She _loved_ the water. She remembered when Midoriya showed her a picture of someone with a quirk that made the woman appear like a mermaid, with a long tail and immense grace within the water, and she remembered how _cool_ it was. She wished she could be a mermaid!

But... she still couldn't shake that fear. The fear of suffocating. Of drowning.

Another pat of the tile, and Eri found her resolve crumbling as she inched closer to Tsuyu, and by reference, the water. It _did_ look calming. The surface was calm, despite Kota paddling around, and it seemed relatively harmless. But she looked harmless too, and she knew better.

 _'What would Izuku do?'_

Just like that, she took a seat next to Tsuyu, to the frog-girl's surprise, though there was plenty of joy, too. Eri tried not to shake too much as she dipped her small feet in the water, the fear pooling in her chest, its cold grip spreading around her lungs, trying to suffocate her. She felt her breathing begin to quicken, but a damp hand on her shoulder snapped her from her tunneling vision, and when she looked at the smiling girl next to her, her breathing regulated, and the darkness in her vision began to recede.

Kota gently passed by, mildly disturbing the surface, but not splashing any water up at his foster-sister. He saw the look she kept shooting the water as she had gotten closer. He knew she was afraid, he had to be ignorant to miss out on that. He squirmed uncomfortably in the water, trying to ignore the creeping guilt that was making its way to his heart. He hadn't meant to splash her in a way that scared her.

He was just having fun.

With a sigh, he realized his mistake. His fun wasn't her fun.

"You don't have to get in yet," Tsuyu said calmly. She meant it, too. It was a huge step that Eri had taken - there was no need to rush it. "I'm going to get in, is that okay?"

Eri nodded. She wasn't as afraid now that her feet were in.

With a contained splash, the frog-girl was back in the water, the warmth of the water surrounding her once more as she sighed in bliss. An idea came to her as she thought about the times she came to train, and she paddled over to a chest that was kept at the surface of the water, before opening it and pulling a large ball out.

The smile on Eri's face was bright and even Kota seemed excited. He grinned as he peeked over at Eri, who was now completely distracted by the idea of a game, silently promising he'd get Izuku to help teach her to swim (so that later on, he _could_ splash her and not feel bad in doing so).

As for Tsuyu... as she played with Kota in the water, using her legs to spin him around and push him into the air so he fell back into the water with a big splash, drawing laughs from the typically stoic child, she felt herself smiling as she felt like she was back home. She glanced over at Eri - who was smiling and pushing the ball underwater, only for it to come back up- well, she'd just have to bring Eri back a few more times.

* * *

 **Yaoyorozu**

In exchange for helping her talk with a certain half-hot, half-cold teen ( _really, she talked to him all the time, so she had no idea why her throat closed up when he asked her if she wanted to join him and Izuku for lunch_ ), Yaoyorozu promised Midoriya one single favor he could repay at any time. She didn't tell him that she'd help him with anything if he asked, but it just seemed more practical to her for them to do a favor swap.

She'd been expecting something simple - involving her quirk, perhaps. What she came to find was two little kids, books and backpacks on their body, and an uneasy expression on Midoriya's face.

 _"T-they're distracted from their homework around me, a-and... well, I was hoping you wouldn't mind watching them?"_

It was short notice, true, but it was also unexpected, and Yaoyorozu would later come to figure out that Midoriya was working on a new level for his 'Full-Cowl', as he called it, and the two little kids were too intrigued by his training to focus on their own lives.

She didn't mind - she'd been planning to go to the library anyways, so this was just another reason to go.

"I hate math," Kota mumbled. He bounced his pencil off the notebook, snorting as it landed dully on the crease of his notebook, the entire process seemingly as amusing as actually doing the work. Yaoyorozu looked over at his paper - full of illegible numbers and randomly-placed formulas - and glanced back at her own paper. It was immaculate, clean, but most of all, it was precise.

She hesitated saying anything. Would he get annoyed that she offered anything? Would he deny her outright?

Her eyes flickered back to his forlorn expression ( _how did he look like he was doing to die?)_ and she made up her mind, exhaling lightly as she did so. Before she spoke up, she glanced at Eri, who was sitting across from her and Kota, and was satisfied to find that she was immersed in her homework. She even had a pleasant smile as she hummed softly to herself.

"Kota?" The boy's eyes rolled over to where she was sitting, slightly wide with surprise that she spoke up.

"Sorry, did I annoy you? I'll stop."

Momo cursed silently; he was obviously a bit more distraught that she'd originally anticipated. "N-no, that's not it. I, um, are you okay?"

Kota's body position shifted slightly, his head peeking up from the previously defeated position it had landed in, as curiosity overtook his features. He slid the notebook back a little as he pulled his head up.

"Yeah, I guess," he muttered. "I just... hate math."

She repressed the urge to say, _'I know'_ , and instead, put on a soft, kind smile. "Well, what part makes you hate it?"

"The numbers. And the idea of it. I won't do anything with math..." His brows furrowed. "At least, I don't want to. Maybe I won't do anything. I don't know."

The frown on Momo's face grew more pronounced as his tone became edged with greater agitation. It was clear this was more than a matter of just mathematics giving the young boy a headache. She made a mental note to talk with Izuku about his behavior later, but for now, she had to fix at least one of his problems if she could.

"Math is more than just numbers... it's about understanding topics, such as quantity, structure, even space." Truthfully, Momo _loved_ math. It was an essence of science; one of the building blocks of civilization. Without math, she doubted human-kind would have made much progress through history. The look of horror on the boy's face made her pause, however, as he looked practically mortified.

"You mean... it only gets _worse_?" His voice was barely above a whisper. Momo sighed in exasperation.

"No; you get smarter." She paused, trying to think of how to move the conversation in the way she wanted. "Would you like me to show you how to do it?"

Kota hesitated. His eyes flickered from his paper to her eyes, and back to the paper, before a light red blush coated his cheeks and he crossed his arms with a feigned indifferent expression. "Yeah, sure, if you want."

Gently shuffling her chair over a few inches, Momo leaned over so that she could get a better look at Kota's homework. Her eyes quickly scanned over the problems, and a smile broke out onto her face. Not that she had any doubts, but she knew exactly what the material was, and she knew just how to solve it. Now the hard part was finding out how to teach it without frustrating or embarrassing the young boy.

Deciding the best course of action would be to find where Kota was struggling, she let him pick their starting place. "Where are you having issues?"

His answer came slowly, and there was a tinge of embarrassment to his words. "I, uh... h-here."

Momo nodded and began to go to work. "See, the first thing to do is to pull this number," she said, gesturing to an '8' with her pencil's eraser. She tapped on the paper softly, and slid her eraser down, mimicking the movement. "Down to here." She then deftly wrote in the '8', and added the parenthesis, before dragging other numbers down, humming gently to herself as she did so. It was like being a child again - she felt nostalgia blossom in her chest as she remembered her own mother lecturing her on the simpler lessons in school.

Before she knew it, the problem was complete, and her work was just as well structured on Kota's paper as it was on her's. She turned to the younger boy with a smile. "Did that make sense?"

The boy blinked. "Can... you do that again?" He paused, and added on. "But slower."

Momo almost sighed, but she didn't miss the change in his tone. _He understood what she did_. He just needed to see it a few times, that was all. Speed was her forte, but there was no reason that she needed to fly through the material. It wasn't even for herself.

"Sure," she said warmly, and began writing again, this time, at a slower, more appropriate pace.

As they were walking through the problems - Kota slowly, but surely, showing evident signs of progress - Yaoyorozu thought back to Kota's dejected statement about how he 'might not do anything'. She had never really struggled with anything like that throughout her growth as a child. Her parents, despite how little they could be around, were fairly certain she'd make for an excellent heir to their business. She was dedicated to heroics, obviously, and that was how she ended up at U.A, especially due to her powerful quirk.

In fact, with her quirk, she was told she'd make a wonderful hero from a young age - though, it was in part thanks to her butler that she kept a level head and understood humility and how to sympathize with others, despite her fortunate status. Looking at Bakugou, she always wondered if he had something similar happen with him, where everyone worshiped him... his behavior was _exactly_ what she expected from someone who was spoon-fed compliments. She'd heard From Midoriya he was popular, she just didn't know to what extent.

She shook the thoughts free; she was supposed to be focused on Kota!

Despite her lapse, he was doing just fine, toiling away at the homework like he hadn't even been struggling in the first place. The frustration that had been all over his body language was now gone, replaced with silent contentment, but that didn't mean that Yaoyorozu had forgotten anything.

"Kota?" He didn't stop working, but he did slow down for a second, showing he was listening. "What did you mean earlier? When you said you don't know what you'll do?"

This time, he did stop writing, but he still kept his eyes on the paper in front of him. "I... don't know what I'll do, I guess. I don't know... what I want to do when I'm older." He slid his hand over so that he was able to write on a blank sheet of paper, and he began to idly doodle. "Adults like to ask me what I want to do... if I want to become a hero or not... and I... don't know."

Before she could say anything, he continued, the tremble in his voice matching the tremble that shook his body. "I know... Izuku is a hero. And so were... my parents. But... I don't know if I want to be a hero. Being a hero has brought a lot of pain with it. For everyone I've known. I don't... know if I want that."

From across the table, Eri had stopped writing, and her ruby eyes were now clouded as she peeked up at the duo. Momo wanted to hit herself; she hadn't meant for the mood to become so solemn. But now that he'd confessed to her, he couldn't leave him hanging, either. What was the right thing to say? These were Izuku's children - not her's.

 _If only Midoriya were here..._ she thought silently. _What would he say?_

"H-hey... it's okay." Kota stopped shaking momentarily. "Sometimes, you won't always know what you want, and that's okay. There's a lot to do in this world, and... you shouldn't feel obliged to do something. I know... Midoriya won't be mad if you don't want to be hero. There's so much time between now and then, you might just find something you like. But... don't feel like you have to know."

"E-even if everyone else does?"

"Especially if everyone else does. Because... they aren't you."

 _'That's what Mr. Aizawa was trying to teach me... I'm not Todoroki... a-and... I shouldn't try to be...'_

Yaoyorozu smiled brightly. "That's right! They aren't you! So... please, don't worry. It'll be okay."

He might not have been trying, but slowly, a smile broke onto Kota's face, and his posture relaxed, and the trio settled back into their homework. Well, almost everyone did. Momo went back to her paper, but as she put the pencil to the notebook, she found her mind blank, and the only thought on her mind was: _when can I do this again?_

* * *

 **Ashido**

"The park?" Kota asked skeptically. "You want to go there?"

Ashdio grinned. "Of course! Are you saying you _don't_ want to climb trees and skip rocks?"

"Uh, but-" Eri tried, but failed, to nab Mina's attention.

"Trust me, you guys'll _love_ it! I know all the sites!"

"A-Ashido, it's ra-"

With a hand on her hip, Mina pushed her hand forward, striking a pose with her fingers doing a peace sign. "Midoriya'll be like, _'woah, why didn't I think of that!',_ and then, you'll wanna go back all the time!"

"It's raining." Kota said bluntly.

Mina froze. She scrambled over to the Common Room window and pulled the blinds back, only to reveal a gusto of wind and rain coming down the building, pattering the glass with heavy droplets of water. Her expression fell and she nearly slid to the ground as disappointment took place of the energy she'd once had. "Aww... that _sucks_." She turned to the two kids dejectedly. "How did you even know?"

"Izuku," they said in harmony, holding up the phones that he'd gotten for them in case of emergency. Sure enough, she peered closer and saw he'd simultaneously told them to be safe if they went out, because the storm was picking up.

Mina frowned, and crossed her arms, before huffing. "He didn't text me."

A buzz came from her pocket, and her expression changed yet again, this time, to one of surprise. She slipped her phone out, and found herself with one unread message from 'Midoriya, Izuku'.

 _'Hey, I won't be back for a bit; have fun with Eri and Kota! I hope they're not too much! Be safe if you go out! Thank you for watching them! :)'_

She smiled; he even attached a smiley emoji!

"You were saying?" Kota asked. His voice barely masked the smirk on his face.

"Sassy," she said, sticking her tongue out. She then moved over to the couch - exactly where Eri and Kota were sitting - and plopped down between them, causing them readjust so as she didn't accidentally sit on either of them. "Well... I don't have any ideas."

They sat in momentary silence, before Eri slowly spoke up. "What about a movie...?"

Mina snapped her fingers. "I got it! The perfect movie!"

She lunged off the couch and crawled over to the television, which was held up by a small wooden cabinet that had various video games, video game consoles, and movies - all belonging to different students, but left in the Common Area for anyone's use, so long as they were respectful. Which, pleasantly, everyone was. Even Bakugou.

"C'mon, c'mon..." Mina muttered, running her finger along the spine of every movie case on the shelf. She paused on _'Monty Python and the Holy Grail'_ _,_ wondering who in the world had brought _that_ movie, but moved on, deciding it wasn't worth the effort. A grin broke out onto her face as she found the movie she was looking for, yanking it out and proudly holding it up for the two kids to see.

"A-are you sure? It looks... scary...?" Eri asked hesitantly. Even Kota looked a little unsure.

"Nah, trust me! I was watching this movie around your age. Plus, you know my first hero name was Alien Queen, right?" They wordlessly nodded. "Now you'll see where I drew inspiration from!"

The two kids glanced at one another, uneasiness written all over their faces, but ultimately, they relented. If Mina said it wasn't scary... then surely it couldn't be that bad, right?

"Let's grab some blankets and popcorn! And lights off!" Ashido suggested excitedly. No matter how many times she watched this movie franchise, she'd never get tired of it. It was just perfect, to her. Even if it was a little outdated by modern movie standards.

She popped the DVD into one of the game consoles, knowing it doubled as a DVD player, and quickly ran over to the kitchen, pulling out some instant popcorn. Eri went over to Izuku's room to grab some of his fluffy blankets, hoping that she could bury herself in them if she became too scared. While she trusted Mina, she also had her doubts, seeing the cover of the movie.

 _Aliens._

She gulped.

Maybe it wouldn't be that bad?

Nearly two hours later, Eri was sure she wouldn't sleep again.

Her body trembled, despite being wrapped up tightly in Izuku's comforter, and with every breath, she tried to inhale as much of his scent, hoping it would calm her frazzled nerves. She glanced over at Mina and Kota, who had radically different expressions. Kota's eyes were wide, and he, too, was clutching the blanket, as if holding on for dear life. Mina was grinning from ear-to-ear, the popcorn bowl in her lap completely empty, no thanks to either of the two kids.

Not that Eri had wanted to eat, anyways. She was pretty sure she'd be terrified to death the next time she had a stomachache.

"So? What'd you think?" Ashido asked eagerly as she navigated the menu and ejected the DVD. Once she cased it, she turned back to the kids, and her expression changed as she saw their faces. "Was it that scary...?"

"I-it... y-yeah..." Eri mumbled, barely keeping her eyes visible. She was slightly ashamed to admit she was scared, but she was also slightly guilty, seeing the excited expression Mina had, turn so downcast. She was sure the pink girl hadn't meant to scare them - she probably _had_ watched it at their age - but that didn't mean it wasn't scary!

Kota coughed gently, trying to put up some sort of facade, but failed to do so.

A frown touched Mina's lips. "I'm sorry... geez, I didn't mean... for _this_ kinda reaction."

"It... i-it wasn't... _bad_." Gently, Eri lowered her blanket, but kept it close to her body, and tightly in her hands. As of now, it was her lifeline, until Izuku was home. Then he'd be her lifeline. "It was just..."

"Terrifying," Kota supplied helpfully.

Mina gently took a seat between the two kids, not noticing how they wiggled closer to her for extra protection, as soon as she'd sat down. "Are you guys okay?"

"Y-yeah."

"Sure, I guess..."

The rain hadn't paused during the movie, and now as it knocked against the window, the room seemed much more ominous - especially with the occasional bolts of lightning that darted across the sky, filling the room with natural light for a few seconds, before a rumbling crack of thunder caused what seemed like the whole building to shake. Mina sighed dejectedly. "I'm sorry..."

"It's okay... r-really." Eri meant it, too. She wasn't... _fond_ , of being scared half-to-death, but... she wasn't mad at Mina, or anything. The U.A. student was just trying to show off her passion, and her favorite movie series. There was nothing bad about that. In fact, in the parts that weren't riddled with... horror and death, it was actually a fairly enjoyable movie. "W-what made you want to name yourself after the queen...?"

"Hm? Oh! Nothing, really." She giggled. "It's not the queen I draw inspiration from, actually. People always thought I looked a little different - I mean, I do! But, like, my friends would jokingly call me like, an alien, and it seemed like my head was always in the clouds, or in space, so... I was kinda like an alien in that sense! And who doesn't wanna be a queen?!"

"Me." Kota rose his hand, but it was ignored.

"And since I loved the movie series so much, I just thought it'd be a cool name, too!" She then frowned, as if remembering something. "But Midnight thought it was too scary..."

A sweat-drop rolled down Eri's face. _'I wonder why...'_

"So what's your name now?" Kota asked curiously.

Mina crossed her arms, and pouted. "Pinky."

Lightning interrupted any laughter that would've escaped from either child, effectively paralyzing them with fear as a particularly loud crack of thunder rolled through the sky, roaring at the ground below it. Both moved even closer to Mina, now practically against her sides. She draped an arm around the duo and pulled them into her sides, still feeling slightly guilty for scaring them the way she did.

"Maybe next time, we'll watch the second one when Mido is here, huh?"

"Please!"

"T-that'd be good!"

She smiled, hiding the sly smirk that was daring to slip onto her face. She'd been trying to get him to watch that, and now, she had a way of getting him to. But, as another round of thunder rolled overhead, and the two squeaked, pulling themselves into Mina's stomach, she felt a warm feeling blossom in her chest.

If they needed a place to cuddle before Midoriya got back, she had no problem with being that source.


	7. Chapter 7

Midoriya Izuku was, for all intensive purposes, a patient guy. In fact, out of everyone within Class 1-A, he was probably one of the most patient, with only a select few being able to steal that title from him - and even then, it was a toss-up.

He had been blessed with patience; a gift bestowed upon him as he eagerly awaited the development of a quirk that would never truly come. Each morning when he awoke, he would sit on his bed, eagerly checking to see if maybe he'd developed some type of abnormal power, deflating when nothing changed, before immediately popping back to his normal mood, checking in different ways throughout the day. Each night, he'd whisper a quiet plea that the next day would hold something different, before he plunged into a dreamscape where he wasn't as powerless as he was in real life.

But nothing ever changed.

Even so, he had remained patient - reluctantly, perhaps, but nonetheless, patient.

When he'd developed his quirk, he'd learned that the patience he'd developed was critical to his development - that was, if he was to properly utilize and withstand it, he would have to be patient, lest he desire to shatter his body. He needed to get stronger - and there was no cutting corners in the pursuit of strength.

Sometimes, he forgot that not everyone was as patient as he was. He knew some of his friends lacked any semblance of patience - such as Mineta, when it came to talking to females. Instead of getting to know them, he rushed directly toward something lewd.

Perhaps Mineta wasn't the best example?

Kirishima lacked patience in combat, strangely enough. The Hardened quirk user was fast to rush in, and faster to throw the first punch, throwing strategy out the window in favor of overwhelming, relentless, brute force. It didn't quite suit his quirk, but it had its moments, so Midoriya let it be. Who was he to correct someone's habits if they didn't want correction?

He learned that Ashido was far from patient when it came to just about anything related to anything. School-work? She barely put the time in to study. Shopping? It was the first thing she found, there was no such thing as a better price. Training? It could take too long if it wasn't combat training. Genuinely, he liked her as a person - she was fun, sweet, and generally a great person. But patience was the farthest thing he'd use to describe her.

Other students could be better or worse, depending on the circumstances. For instance, Midoriya quickly learned that Todoroki's patience vanished when it came to ice cream, but he remained collected in combat - a strange combination. Bakugou lacked patience in everything _except_ combat (and even then, he could be relatively impatient then, too).

Something like patience was necessary when dealing with two little children. It was one of the reason's that Midoriya was best suited to care for the young children; it was also one of the greatest tests he'd endured, and begged the question - how much patience did he _really_ have?

At first, his patience seemed limitless.

Eri's hesitance to open up to anyone was duly noted, but as time went on, she slowly became accustomed to the presence of Mirio and Izuku - her duel dad team, as some would say. Once she became accustomed, she did everything in her power to remain at one of their sides, attaching to them like a baby duckling imprints to the first thing it sees. Midoriya didn't mind the amount of time he poured into coddling her, because in his mind, she'd earned it with all the horrific things she'd been through. He slept when she was able to fall asleep, he awoke when she shot up in bed, he consoled her when she cried, he ate with her when she was still recovering her weight... he was the definition of patient.

When Koda came around, the script remained the same. He didn't mind Koda's indifference, although compared to the first time, the young boy was significantly kinder than he'd been. There were far less injuries, too.

Heck, he was patient when the two children squabbled, their personalities rubbing each other just _subtly_ in the wrong direction. He didn't mind separating them, putting his body in between their childish feud, smiling gently as they sheepishly clammed up and immediately understood what they'd done, before apologizing quietly.

There wasn't a time he was known for being... _not patient_. (Minus a few select instances in combat, which everyone could overlook)

So the silence that had settled between Mirio, who was looking _awfully guilty_ , Kaminari, who was idly looking anywhere _but_ at Midoriya, Kirishima, who was whistling a faint tune, Sero, who was smiling guilty, and Shouji, who was staring straight down, with his tentacles limp, had become quite tense.

"Who's going to fill me in?" Midoriya asked sternly, crossing his arms as he did so.

The silence remained thick between the five males, each one unwilling to break their silent vows. Midoriya wrinkled his nose, but understood that they did feel guilty. He could visibly see their guilt - but that didn't mean he wasn't upset.

He glanced back at Eri, making sure she wasn't playing with her puffy nose and was keeping it pinched, since she'd already begun fuddling with it once, to unfavorable results. His eyes slid over to Koda, who was quietly nursing an ice pack over a swollen eye, casually playing on Midoriya's phone, which ended up enrapturing Eri, too.

When he'd first seen them, he almost fainted on the spot. They hadn't been hurt under his care since he took charge of their care, proving to everyone that he was a worthy guardian. Though that wasn't to say they hadn't developed little bumps and bruises along the way. They were kids, after all. And a tender amount of TLC had them up and running in no time. However, once the shock had worn off, he'd sprung into action, dabbing at Eri's nose with gentle precise motions, and checking its alignment. Once he was satisfied it wasn't broken, he instructed her to pinch and lean forward to help stop the bleeding, soothingly rubbing her back as she hiccupped a few times as tears leaked from her eyes as she had to endure the stinging pain. Koda, on the other hand, was rather stoic, and easily accepted the bag of ice as Midoriya made sure that there was no damage to his eyeball. He had tried to play it off, but quickly understood that his caretaker meant business.

They'd also sustained small injuries - a few scuff marks here, a bruise or scrape there, nothing too out of the ordinary - but that was, unfortunately, to be expected.

Once the heir to All Might was satisfied that his children were properly cared for, he turned his gaze to those that were possibly responsible, and since then, they'd been locked in a silent stalemate. _He_ certainly wasn't going to back down, so it was simply a matter of time before someone cracked - and Midoriya was going to be sure one of them cracked.

"We can sit here all day."

Silence reigned supreme.

Izuku sighed and turned away from the group of his classmates. "Or, I can just ask these two. And let their wild imagination run free."

A sudden chorus of "no, wait!", "please don't!", and "hold on!" rang out, putting a thin smile on Midoriya's lips momentarily, before he wiped away the smile and turned back to them, hands on his hips. "Then tell me what happened."

Kirishima bit his lip, before rubbing his arm. "We just thought they'd enjoy some games outside, and..."

He trailed off, but Midoriya was not satisfied. That didn't answer why his two children were bleeding and bruised, looking like they'd gone a round or two with a younger Bakugou. He crossed his arms and narrowed his gaze, which immediately caused Kirishima to look away again.

"W-we _might_ have overdone it," Sero admitted. He shuddered uncomfortably as Midoriya's dark green gaze focused in on him, and for a second, he regret speaking up in the first place. Sensing the teen wasn't going to relent until more information was shared, Sero pressed on, doing his best to ignore the look he was getting. "We were rough-housing a little, and, well... they're not as sturdy!"

"Of course they aren't - they're _children_!" Midoriya said exasperatedly. He took in a breath and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Mirio, you didn't stop them?"

"Actually, I di-"

"He encouraged it." Shouji said without remorse.

Silence.

"That's cold," Kaminari admitted, watching Mirio stare at the multiple-armed hero-in-training with betrayal shining in his eyes.

Sero did his best to not laugh. "Extremely."

Knowing that Mirio was equally - if not _more_ \- guilty didn't exactly help Midoriya figure out what to do. There wasn't exactly a handbook for how to punish people who were apparently not responsible. Plus, it wasn't like they were irresponsible people... they just had a terrible lapse of judgement, which warranted some type of punishment, right? Or did it only deserve a warning?

"What am I doing to do with you guys...?" Midoriya asked quietly, to no one in particular.

He asked himself, ' _what would Mr. Aizawa do?_ ', and quickly realized that he'd probably have them perform some terrible remedial punishment, which would inevitably include some type of exam or extra homework. He shuddered; that was too stiff, in his opinion. Midnight would...

He shuddered again.

Maybe he'd just do what _he_ felt was right...?

"Why the fuck are you all standing around like a bunch of idiots?"

Five pairs of eyes widened, darting between the blonde-haired boy that entered the Common Room, and the green-haired boy that sighed heavily. "Please don't swear around the kids, Kacchan..."

He grunted, giving Midoriya a glare, but seemingly abiding by his request. "Doesn't answer my question."

"Koda and Eri were hurt when they were all playing outside, and I'm trying to figure out how to punish them."

Bakugou's eyes widened, and he peeked around Midoriya, catching an eyeful of Eri's swollen red nose, along with Koda's puffed eye, and immediately whirled on the group of teens - who were now _much_ more regretful than they'd been a few seconds ago.

"WHAT THE FUCK WERE YOU DUMBSHITS DOING, HUH?!" He pointed at the two kids - who were _thankfully_ too distracted by Midoriya's phone to notice what was transpiring - and raised his other hand, detonating several miniature explosions to demonstrate his rage. "WHY DO THEY LOOK LIKE FUCKING DEKU WHEN HE FIGHTS?!"

"I-I wouldn't say they look like me..." However, Midoriya's weak protest fell on deaf ears.

"DO YOU HAVE ANY FUCKING IDEA OF HOW TO FUCKING TAKE CARE OF CHILDREN, HUH?!" Nobody responded immediately, mumbling responses, but avoiding the furious red-eyed glare that Bakugou was now sporting. "I CAN'T FUCKING HEAR YOU COWARDS!"

Ignoring his profanity-littered tirade, Midoriya was somewhat impressed with the blonde boy's initiative and care for the two young children, despite his façade that he didn't care much for them. He knew that, deep down, he had a very small soft spot for the children, and he'd already been put under their spell.

He just wished that the explosive teenager would dial back his cursing... but that was an issue for another day.

"SHITTY HAIR, C'MERE." Immediately, the red-haired teen stepped forward without question. He grabbed Kirishima by the collar and began pulling him away, ignoring the teen's feeble protests. "Quit bitchin'! Take your punishment like a fuckin' man!"

There was a fade in the voices as Bakugou got Kirishima into the elevator, and a moment of silence descended upon the remaining students, knowing that their red-haired friend was probably going to receive the harshest punishment.

"R.I.P. Kirishima…" Kaminari muttered, his hand going to his chest, as he released a breath he didn't know he'd been holding.

Silently, everyone agreed with that assessment. Bakugou had relaxed a bit over the time he'd been at U.A., but his temper was still nothing to ignore, and something told the boys that Kirishima was not going to be released without a few bruises. He was in Bakugou's clutches now; there was no escaping punishment. Even Midoriya felt a small semblance of pity for the spiky-haired teenager, but the feeling passed as soon as it came; a consequence of his decisions, in the end.

Unfortunately, even with Bakugou's involvement, there was still no answer that was given as to what the ideal punishment was. Screaming and cursing was hardly a punishment (and it felt rather childish, in Midoriya's opinion - not that he'd ever tell that to Bakugou), and while he didn't _need_ to punish them, it didn't feel right knowing they hadn't learned anything.

Besides; his parental alarm was going off, and he knew he needed to respond to it.

A sudden thought occurred to him: _what if instead of punishing them out of principle's sake... he punished them AND helped them improve?_

 _'Isn't that what Aizawa would do...?_ ' He wondered for a second, before brushing it off. There was no way that Aizawa would have them train as a punishment - right? … Right?

A smile crossed Midoriya's lips, and for a second, the remaining males looked at him with a glimmer of hope. There was no way that their cinnamon bun would do anything cruel. He was a blessed child. A fluffy cloud in the sky. The flower that bloomed in the garden, sweet-smelling and pretty to look at. He was their sugar to all the bitter foods they'd encountered. The voice of clarity in a world of chaos.

He wouldn't _really_ punish them.

* * *

"Izuku?"

"Yes, Eri?" Turning to face the little girl, Midoriya smiled widely as he casually lifted a dumbbell, feeling the familiar strain in his bicep; a welcomed feeling each time he lifted the weight. If he wasn't struggling, he wasn't improving - that's how he viewed weight-training.

The girl cutely presented a jump-rope and frowned as it appeared tangled in multiple places. "I can't use it."

"Here, let me fix it," Izuku suggested happily, taking the rope as he set his weights down. Meticulously, he began furrowing the plastic coil through each loop, slowly undoing the monstrosity that had became the tangled mess. He hummed a little tune as he did so, causing Eri to join in, bobbing her head up and down as she hummed.

She glanced to the background, putting a finger to the corner of her mouth (like she'd seen Midoriya do so many times before) as she studied the various movements going on in the back.

"Hey Izuku?"

"Hmm?"

"Why's everyone screaming so much?"

Izuku glanced at his friends, frowning slightly as he did so. Kota was watching over their exercises like a hawk, glaring at anyone who dared to slack off, while also giving quick rushes of water out to anyone that earned a break. It was like watching a drill-sergeant work his men without remorse, only pitying them enough to give them a few seconds of reprieve before sending them back into the field for more training.

Kaminari was sparring with Shouji- although, it was less of a sparring match, and more of a massacre, as the multi-limbed teenager was making quick work of the electricity-user. Even though he was permitted to use his quirk, Kaminari was only allowed to use it along his body. Discharging any currents would render him less and less capable - and since they weren't allowed to stop anytime soon, the yellow-haired teen had to be smart with his quirk-usage.

Mirio and Sato were also going head-to-head, though it was slightly more fair. Even with Mirio's current status, Sato was still on the receiving end of multiple quick jabs, and was sporting multiple bruises from the larger boy's more power-based offenses. Several times, Sato had been able to neutralize the burly teenager, but more often than not, he found himself pinned to the ground, face-to-face with Mirio's giant grin.

"I gotta say; this punishment ain't so bad!" Mirio exclaimed, throwing another series of punches, following by a sweeping kick to Sato's lack of awareness.

The wiry boy grunted as he hit the ground, before wheezing as Mirio spun him over and planted his foot on Sato's back. "E-easy for you to say..."

Kaminari couldn't even come up with words as he desperately defended himself from Shouji's relentless attacks, trying to coat his body in enough electricity to keep the jabs from coming. Even though they stung, Shouji was hardly deterred, opting to power through the tingling sensation, in an effort to recompense for his mistakes earlier.

Finally, a quick jab ended Kaminari's defense, and the yellow-haired boy threw his arms up in exasperation.

"I give! You win!"

He went to walk away - or limp, depending at the angle you stood at - but upon leaving the makeshift sparring arena, a shiver ran down his spine. Slowly, he turned to see Midoriya stretching, bioelectrical waves of energy crackling along his limbs, eagerly biting at the air. The teen had an innocent smile, as if he were invited to play a game.

"I didn't know you wanted to spar, Kaminari! You should've just said something!"

"W-what?!" Kaminari said, slowly backing up. His eyes glanced at Koda, who smirked, having rat the boy out. Kaminari's eyebrow twitched; _he'd been played._

"One-For-All... Full Cowling!" Midoriya mumbled, squatting down as the energy built up further. Dust began to swirl, a sign of the boy's increasing power, and Kaminari's life suddenly began flashing before his eyes. "Ready or not... here I come!"

"Wait-wait-wait-wait-WAIT-WAIT-WA-"

"Rochester... _SMASH!_ "

There was no time for Kaminari to even defend himself, as Midoriya swooped upon him like a bat out of hell, swinging his leg sideways, hitting the poor yellow-haired boy like a log rolling down a hill. Time seemed to slow as the teenager was sent flying through the air, crashing into Shouji and Sero, knocking the duo into a pile of limbs and bruises.

Mirio, seeing an opportunity to claim his victory, firmly placed a foot on top of the pile, ignoring the groans that came from below, and grinned, flashing Midoriya a thumbs up. "I have wo-"

Just as he went to speak, Kaminari's control over his electricity released, coating the pile of teenagers in an aura of yellow electricity, forcing Midoriya into action, darting forward to sweep Eri into his arms, before rushing over to Kota. Realistically, there wasn't a need to grab the two - nor was he fast enough to grab them before the attack started - however, he wanted to ensure that no stray bolt accidentally danced over to where they were. He wouldn't forgive himself if they were hurt twice in less than 24 hours.

The attack ended as fast as it began, and Mirio slowly removed his foot, a grin still on his face. "Ow."

Midoriya blinked, still surprised by the chain of effects, but it was Eri that broke the silence. "Looks like they're done for today."

"Can we get food?" Kota asked suddenly.

Eri seemed to agree. "Food!" She said, with a tiny amount of drool slipping from the corner of her mouth.

"Alright, alright," Midoriya said, laughing. He picked up the two kids - placing Kota on his shoulders, while holding Eri forward - and walked toward the dorms, shooting his classmates one more worried look. Once he heard Kaminari's 'whey', he knew everything was alright - after all, they _were_ supposed to learn something, and punishments weren't supposed to be fun, right?

He smiled, sunshine emanating from his grin. Maybe he was cut out for this punishment thing after all.

Behind him, the group of teenagers sighed, groaning in pain as they untangled themselves. _Maybe Midoriya wasn't so innocent after all..._


	8. Chapter 8 (Part I)

**IT'S FINALLY HAPPENING... THE MOTHER REVEAL!**

 **We'll be looking at the first and second-place candidates; if your champion didn't win (or make it in the chapter) then don't worry. It's not like you won't see moments from everyone. Coming soon, we'll see other focused one-shots, like All Might, Aizawa, Present Mic, Midnight, etc.**

 **So please, no freak-outs. Thanks guys!**

* * *

"Kota...?"

"Hmm?"

There was a pause, a silence lingering in the air of the library momentarily, before the soft feminine voice spoke again, having collected her thoughts. "Do you notice that dad hangs out with a lot of girls?"

A response was delayed. The boy, having previously been furiously scribbling on a sheet of paper, stopped mid-thought, and stared at his paper, unblinking. The remnants of his math problem - disassembled and broken down into several columns of numbers - laid in wait on the paper, easily forgotten as a new and fascinating topic had been brought up. Kota didn't frown, but he didn't smile, either. He simply sat for a moment, considering what his foster-sister had said.

"Yeah... what about it?" He asked slowly.

During his time with the Pussycat Heroes, there weren't a lot of people that came within their domicile - men or women. It probably had a lot to do with their occupation, along with their relative isolation from the rest of modern-day Japan, but it was something that Kota had just chalked up as a normal thing. The drastic turn-around of transitioning to living with Inko and Izuku had given Kota a completely different aspect of life - but it had also changed his view on some of the 'normalcies' he'd previously maintained.

Yet, despite all of the changes to his preconceived notions, there was one thing that hadn't occurred to him - until Eri brought it up.

The Pussycat Heroes were all single - and, in Pixie-Bob's case, ' _ready to mingle_ '. But more than that, they were well-within the acceptable 'dating age', as Pixie-Bob phrased it. Yet, despite all of that, it was incredibly rare to see them _ever_ bring home guests of the opposite gender. In fact... despite all of Pixie-Bob's claims... Kota couldn't recall a time he ever saw her with a male while on the premise of their land. Sure, he'd see her in photos online, where her love-life was always in question, but she never once brought home someone of the opposite gender.

For the longest time, he - being a young male - didn't care. It wasn't his concern _who_ his adoptive family brought home, and more than that, he couldn't find the internal energy to care about trivial matters such as dating and love. He didn't have a mother or a father anymore - so why should he care about someone's life? It was shallow, he'd later recognize, but it was justified, too. Grief and denial had him as a completely different person.

But now, living with Izuku, things were different. And Eri was completely right about one thing - he _did_ hang out with a lot of girls.

Eri, apparently, wasn't oblivious to that, either. "I don't know... I wonder if he _likes_ any of them."

It was impossible to hold back a scoff, and despite Eri's frown and narrowing gaze, Kota couldn't help the _slight_ tinge of sarcasm that colored his words. "C'mon, really? Look at him - he's like, red all the time. He's gotta like one of them."

"But he's red around all of them," Eri pointed out. She crossed her arms and huffed, which shouldn't have seemed adorable, but if anyone could've seen her, it would've been. Her frown deepened, punctuated by the lack of any reliable lead as she considered her foster-father's behavior around the majority of the girls.

It was... erratic, to say it best. He'd gotten immensely better over the years. No longer did he break out in a nervous sweat when he was given the topic of simply approaching one of the girls. In fact, he was more than capable of approaching _and_ instigating a conversation with them - but that was the extent of it. And, to make matters worse, he had to know them extremely well in order to avoid his bumbling phase. If, by some chance, it was someone new... well, it was practically back to square one.

But, even with all of his progress, there were still times that he reverted to the same timid boy he'd once been. Physical contact still took a slight touch of hesitation when it occurred, and his own initiation of it was a bit robotic at times. A sprinkle of red still dusted his cheeks whenever he was caught off-guard by a well-meaning hug or accidental brush of the hands, but then, Eri supposed he'd probably retain that until a day came where he was solely engaged to that one special person.

An idea occurred in Eri's head, and to put it in motion, she ran over to her notebook, snatched it up, and threw it in front of Kota. There was a moment of protest when she shoved his homework aside, but he quickly forgot about the assignment once more when Eri doodled Izuku's name, along with the names of all the girls within class 3-A.

 _Uraraka._

 _Yaoyorozu._

 _Ashido._

 _Hagakure._

 _Asui._

 _Jirou._

Six names; six different girls, six different personalities.

"What is this all about?" Kota looked at the paper carefully, trying to figure out why there were several lines separating each name, and why Eri seemed so excited.

"Simple!" She said with a sunny smile. "We're going to help him decide!"

"Eh?!"

Whether or not it was a protest, it fell onto deaf ears as Eri quickly began jotting down notes at a speed that rivaled Midoriya when he was in hero-otaku mode. They were messy, etched into the paper in a scrabbled scrawl, but they got the points across, and Kota quickly found himself scanning each phrase, and considering it deeply against what he'd noticed.

 _Uraraka: really sweet and nice, intense, bubbly, innocent_

 _Yaoyorozu: helpful, thoughtful, smart_

 _Ashido: energetic, playful, funny_

 _Hagakure: friendly, sweet, excitable_

 _Asui: calm, peaceful, encouraging_

 _Jirou: fun, spontaneous, quiet_

"Is quiet a good thing?" Kota asked, though if he were honest, it was more to himself than to Eri.

Still, the young girl took the question in-stride, and nodded as she kept thinking of terms. "It's different than, like, Hagakure. It's good, don't you think so?"

Did he want Izuku's girlfriend to be quiet? Honestly, it wasn't something that he'd ever thought about - mostly because the topic of Izuku's love-life had been absent from his thoughts. But if he were honest about it... it did sound rather appeasing to him. After all, he, too, was rather quiet. Having a girl that would be around Izuku all the time, wouldn't it be nicer if she were quiet and respected his space?

But then... he frowned.

He'd had enough of quiet.

He remembered the time that Yaoyorozu helped him with his homework - she'd been so patient. So kind... so helpful. It was hard to forget that, and, as he kept skating through his math homework, he remembered her aid and how patient she'd been. How thoughtful. Just like Eri had said - she'd been exactly what he needed. Plus... he remembered all the times that she'd been there for him, doing little miscellaneous things for him that just kind of stuck with him. She wasn't quiet - but she was... _motherly._

"E-eh...?" _Motherly_...? "Wha...?"

"Hmm? What's wrong, Kota?" Eri had seen enough of Kota's rapidly widened eyes to realize that he was _definitely_ thinking of something. "Is something wrong?"

"N-no!" He said suddenly, but clamped his hands over his mouth just as fast. He hadn't anticipated that much force behind his words. He took a breath and tried again, this time, slower and more in-control. "I... was just thinking... m-maybe Yaomomo would be realistic?"

The snowy-haired girl pondered his words carefully. True, she thought. Yaoyorozu _was_ one of the original girls he'd gone to when he was first trying to acclimate herself and Kota to their new living situation. She'd been every bit of helpful as she could've been, and it was honestly because of her that Eri had even _felt_ comfortable around the rest of Class 1-A (at the time). But yet, whenever Eri tried to imagine Izuku with the tall girl... she just frowned. They'd make a sweet pair, but...

"Maybe..." She said slowly. "I kinda thought Ashido or Uraraka would be better."

Both girls were something unique. Uraraka had a personality that was a bit all over the place, if the young girl was honest. There were days that she was sweet and innocent - so much like Izuku that it actually scared Eri. The gravity-girl was always one of the first people to offer her assistance, sometimes even before Izuku had time to ask, and she didn't shy away from anything. Then there were energetic moments, where she had no problem throwing away the constraints that bound her. Those were the times she bounced around, throwing mock punches and jumping around like she was weightless.

Finally, there was her serious face. A face that... Eri tried not to talk about.

Ashido was geared more toward Uraraka's energetic side, and pretty much lived 24/7 like she was riding a caffeine high. For the amount of times that Ashido had devised some sort of entertaining game or idea that left anyone in her wake feeling tired and exhausted, there were also times that she just brought up the mood of the room by entering it. It was a different sort of light than Uraraka's - it was more upbeat and eccentric, whereas Uraraka's was typically bright and relaxing.

But there were sides to Ashido that Eri had only seen a few times when she was with Izuku. The times where she was mellow, and simply encouraging him to relax and rest, or even take the day off to recover his waxing/waning health. If there was one thing that Eri would readily admit, it was that her observation skills put everyone else to shame. Somehow, the pink girl knew what people were thinking - and by extension, feeling - without having to talk to them. It was a trait that Ashido had, but Uraraka lacked.

They both had their glimmering lining that Eri couldn't help but love. But she knew that one would have to be picked - and the other would probably feel pretty hurt about that. And that made the young girl's heart sink. She didn't want either of them to feel hurt. She wanted them to be happy. _She_ wanted to be happy.

"Ashido can be scary sometimes... and Uraraka is, I don't know... kinda like a kid, too." It wasn't like he was insulting them; he loved them too, Eri knew that. But she couldn't resist the defiance that shimmered within her eyes, nor could she help the defensive side that seemed to jump at the (not present) accusation that he knew better.

"So what? That doesn't make them less qualified."

Kota folded his arms, not rising to the bait like Eri thought he would. Sometimes, it surprised her how calm he could be when he was deep in thought. His gaze deviated upward as he pondered, bouncing his leg up and down rhythmically. "So why not Jirou? Or Hagakure?"

"Jirou's like a cool aunt. Plus, she's been eyeing up Kaminari since she introduced you to the drums." Kota paused, before nodding and conceding. Eri kept going. "And Hagakure is kinda like an older sister. Then there's Ojiro..."

"What about Asui?"

Eri put her finger to the corner of her mouth, tilting her head slightly as she did so. "She's not here a lot of times - she has to go home to take care of her siblings, you know?"

Kota froze momentarily, pondering a thought, before he spoke up slowly. "Wait... I thought we were talking about a girl for Izuku...?"

"We are," Eri said, confused.

"Then why does it sound like you're justifying it like something else...?"

Up until that point, Eri hadn't realized it. She'd simply been justifying the positives and negatives in her mind. Everyone had them - and she still loved everyone the same - but she wanted to be rational about everything. Yet, without knowing, she'd done the same thing that Kota had done. It _had_ started out as picking out the ideal girl for Izuku - but it had evolved into something more.

She, too, was picking out the ideal _motherly_ girl.

A flash of red heated her cheeks, but even so, the young girl stood her ground, refusing to admit her fault. She crossed her arms and stuck her lip out in a familiar pout, but didn't back down from her stance. Besides, she was committed.

"I-I'm not justifying anything! I just think that Ashido or Uraraka would be best for him."

Kota's eyes narrowed as he felt a familiar desire creeping up within his chest. The desire to be _right,_ no matter what he had to say or do. Typically, Midoriya would stop him - and Eri - before it got too out of control. But he wasn't present right now, ergo... there was no one to diffuse the situation. And Kota knew what was happening, how could he not? This wasn't a brand new feeling. He and Eri clashed from time to time, especially as she became more outspoken and confident. It was just a matter of being kids - they both wanted to be right.

"Ashido is too... t-too..." He stumbled for a second, unable to come up with the words. "Too _much_!"

It wasn't often that Eri fought back. Kota knew that. She typically would become frustrated and huff off, looking for Midoriya to justify her thoughts, in which Kota would follow her grumpily, ready to defend himself. _He_ had always been the vocal one, willingly to defend his thoughts. He'd been doing it for so long that it just felt like a second nature.

This time, however, something must have compelled her, because Eri didn't flinch in the face of the brewing fight. In fact, her ruby eyes glinted, and she seemed... _ready_ to defend herself. It unnerved the young boy - not because he was scared. But because she'd never done it before.

"I'll prove you wrong! Ashido and Izuku are _way better_ together than anyone else!" She added a stomp of her foot for emphasis.

Kota didn't back down either, rounding up his homework and snorting loudly, locking eyes with his foster sibling. "And I'll prove _you_ wrong! Yaomomo is the best!"

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

They gave each other more firm glance - promising action in their intense looks - before turning away from one another with emphasis, and walking out different exits of the library. Nobody paid them any heed - mostly because everyone was locked within their own cluster of assignments. But simultaneously, in a different part of the school, Midoriya felt a chill run down his spine, like a foreboding warning had descended upon him. He blinked, looked around, and slowly returned to his training - unaware of the brewing storm.

* * *

Days had passed, and if Midoriya were an honest man, he'd admit something was different. Thankfully, he was an honest man - and so he had no problem admitting that exact thing.

Steadily, if not hesitantly, Eri and Kota had been bringing Ashido and Yaoyorozu around more frequently, and at times he least expected it. The days that they came home from school, they'd almost _instantly_ go to one of the two girls (instead of him) and bring them over, before going on about their day. At first, it was nice to see. But then... he paid a bit more attention.

There was an unspoken battle that seemed to be brewing between the two. He couldn't place his finger on what they were fighting about, but there was no ignoring their defiant and stubborn looks that they threw at one another. On the rare occasion they didn't have one of the two girls locked at the hand, they were too busy giving each other the stink-eye to pay much attention to him. It was... concerning.

He wasn't exactly sure how to go about bringing it up, though.

Ordinarily, he'd address the problem head-on, and it would be resolved within a few hours. But this felt different. It was more than just a battle between kids. It held actual heart behind it - and that changed his approach.

He'd been tempted to talk to Ashido and Yaoyorozu about their thoughts, but with UA loading on the course work, he found himself slowly drowning against the various text and homework assigned nightly, and he couldn't catch either of them alone for enough time. He considered shooting them a text message, but if he was honest, he wanted to talk to them more.

Finishing up his set, he sighed. He pushed the matter to the back of his head - he'd just have to be blunt about it, it seemed. If Kota and Eri were fighting, then ultimately, the issue fell to him to resolve their growing schism before it got out of hand.

When Midoriya had finished racking his weights, he stretched out, grunting lowly as he felt the familiar 'pump' in his arms keep his appendages taught and firm. It was an intoxicating feeling, he mused, his thoughts dancing away from the problem burning on his brain. There was something he had come to crave naturally when he lifted the heavy weights, slowly - _meticulously_ \- curling, pulling or pushing the weights in various directions, achieving the eccentric or concentric contractions in his workouts. The way his arms ached and struggled against movements later in the workout... and the way his muscles felt _full_ , pressing firmly against his skin, it was all a rush.

In a way, he was thankful. Without All Might's intervention back when he was in middle school, he would've never had the confidence to work out, nor would he have known _how_ to. There were internet guides, but without a spotter, it was impossible to nail the correct form, no matter how much he read. His Quirk was a blessing that led to so many more opportunities in his life.

"Hey, dad!" With his hands on his hips, Midoriya turned, surprised to see Kota - unsurprisingly - pulling a flushed Yaoyorozu behind him. Her hair was in a messy bun, and she was wearing a casual turtleneck with sweat pants, as if she hadn't been expecting to be pulled from her studies, or whatever it was she had been doing. "You should hang out with Yaomomo."

"Eh?"

"Kota! It's a bit rude to force people to hang out," Yaoyorozu protested, though she didn't seem opposed to the idea. She eyed Midoriya carefully, not at all flustered by his sweaty appearance. Even though she'd been coerced into seeing Midoriya more than usual, she was never against seeing her quiet classmate, and spending time with him.

Really, he was one of the few people that didn't leave her exhausted _or_ pulling her hair out by the end of the day.

While she wasn't bothered, that didn't mean Midoriya wasn't, though. It wasn't like he was particularly bothered by it, but he tended to try to avoid anyone until he'd showered, since he knew how sweaty and disheveled he could look afterward. "Y-yeah, I gotta shower first!"

"Okay, then just hang out afterward," Kota stated casually. He look was blank, but it was innocent, and Midoriya's surprised gaze softened. There was no rhyme or reason to his request, and for a second, he wondered: maybe there was something going on in the background in Yaoyorozu's life. He hadn't noticed Momo acting strangely, but that didn't mean she didn't have something on her mind. Maybe it was a secret message Kota was sending him?

Either way, he was put in a tight situation. With a sigh, he relented. "Well... if you w-want to, Yaoyorozu? I don't mind doing something after a shower - we could review for the Structural Integrity chapter that Power Loader is going to quiz us on tomorrow?"

The tall girl smiled, despite herself. "I suppose that'll work. I was planning to study that in a bit, anyways. Company might do me some good."

"Cool, then let me just g-"

"MIDORI!"

The teen blinked, his vibrant green eyes going wide as a pink blur crashed into him. A large grin rested on her face as she nuzzled into his chest, bouncing up and down happily.

"W-w-what?!"

Ashido pulled back momentarily, her amber eyes gleaming happily, matching the smile she wore. Positive energy radiated off her being like heat from a lamp, enveloping Midoriya in a cocoon of warmth. "If you wanted to grab dinner, you should've just asked me personally! Eri didn't need to let it slip!"

 _'Dinner...? What is she talking about...?_ ' Midoriya wondered, his brain beginning to kick into overdrive. He hadn't remembered specifically tell Eri about any plans to ask anyone - let alone Ashido - out for dinner. Yet... the pink girl wasn't a liar, and judging by her raw joy, there was no way that she was kidding about anything, either.

"Ah, getting caught with your hands tied, Midoriya?" Yaoyorozu asked with a hint of mirth in her voice. She didn't seem bothered by the sudden shift in plans, instead, she put her hand to her mouth and tried to refrain from giggling.

Midoriya rubbed the back of his head awkwardly, a wobbly smiling making its way onto his face. "Y-yeah, I guess. Sorry, maybe we can study a different time?"

"Oh, were you two gonna study? We can always do a rain-check?" Ashido said, feeling a slight stab of guilt.

"NO!" Eri said, busting into the room. She seemed out of breath, likely a result of having to chase down the energetic pink girl, resulting in her leaning against the doorway for a moment. "I-I mean... no, dinner is important. You can't study being hungry."

Unbeknownst to anyone, Kota's eyes narrowed, seeing the tactical ploy that Eri played. He cursed internally; she'd played a sly and devious game. Their efforts, thus far, had been met with resistance from their dense father. But that didn't mean she'd won yet.

"But if you don't study, you might fail!"

A sweat-drop worked its way down the brow of all three U.A. students.

"Crap, I haven't studied yet..." Ashido said glumly, her energy falling off immensely, though she remained attached to Midoriya. A groan worked its way from her lips as she tilted her head backward dejectedly.

"Ah, well, why don't we all get food... then study afterward?" Yaoyorozu offered thoughtfully.

Ashido's eyes lit up happily, her energy returning once again, and released the green-headed teenager as she bounded up to the tall girl, sparkles in her eyes. "That's a good idea! You're the smartest, Yaomomo!"

Yaoyorozu simply took the compliment, but awkwardly laughed, trying to wave it off. "It's... nothing? Just a bit of rational thinking."

"B-but... Ashido... don't you wanna get dinner with Izuku alone?" Eri asked quietly, trying to keep her voice from reaching everyone.

The pink girl smiled, leaning over to whisper in the young girl's ear. "Sure, but that can always happen a later night. There's nothing stopping us from tomorrow or something."

"Yaomomo..." Kota paused, struggling to come up with something to say. He deviated his gaze, trying to curb his rising frustration as nothing came to mind. How was Eri able to come up with tactics so easily? How come he couldn't think of anything to say? Without even looking, he knew her patient gaze had settled on him. His fists curled into balls, and opened his mouth, but...

"Nothing..."

He couldn't think of anything. Eri had won this round.

Yaoyorozu gave the boy a momentary look, studying his demeanor, before she reluctantly nodded. A small smile worked its way onto her lips and she decided to bite the bullet, gently patting him on the head, despite his hat. He froze, but melted into the touch subconsciously. And that's why he couldn't help the tear that leaked from his eye.

Angrily, his head snapped toward Eri, and he growled. "Why are you so _stubborn_?! Can't you just let Izuku be with Yaomomo?!"

Midoriya's eyes widened and he turned a mix of blood red and hot pink, with steam pouring from his ears. Had he really just heard what he thought he heard, or was he going insane?

"You're the one trying to force things!" Eri countered. It was surprising to all three UA students, hearing the anger in her voice. "Why can't _you_ just stop being stubborn?!"

"Guys, I -" Midoriya's voice was drown out by the much louder - and emotionally - children, locked in a fierce glare.

Kota growled. "I'm not stopping anything!" He stomped in place, a simple redirection of his anger, and despite his damnedest, tears began dripping steadily from his eyes. "I-I just...!" He trailed off.

Honestly, he wasn't sure _where_ he was going with that statement. Inside of his head, his thoughts were all discombobulated, like his brain had been put through the blender. Scattered and awry, there was no reason to what he was thinking - the only thing he knew for certain, was that he trusted the tall, black-haired girl. She was something special - in his eyes. And Izuku…

He was special, too. It made sense. He wanted them _both_ in his life.

Together.

But he had no idea why.

Furiously, he turned away; ashamed of his behavior, but also, ashamed of crying in front of his hero. The childlike pride he had instilled in himself caused a rush of frustration to ebb through his body, and it took all of his willpower to not lash out angrily with his Quirk. Not that he wanted to attack Eri. He just wanted - _practically needed_ \- to direct his frustration somewhere, instead of hording it inside.

But he had nowhere to lash out. So, instead, he took the next best option.

He turned and ran out, tears dripping on the floor behind him.


	9. Chapter 85 (Part II)

"I'll _go talk to him."_

It was the first thing that any good parent would think of doing. Kids were, for lack of a better term, difficult. The way that their mind worked was not similar to how an adult's mind worked - and often, their subtle differences resulted in extraordinary reactions. Logic, no matter how sound, could and would fail at the very first moment the child refuted the information, and often was buried in the depths of the conversation - set onto the backburner, left there without heat.

Adults, too, could neglect logic, but it was typically in a different manner. Emotions that ran rampant would eventually simmer, and a shameful apology often found its way to the forefront, before self-reflection set in, and the person (generally) learned a thing or two, before history would repeat itself.

There was only one good difference between adults and kids - children rarely hid things when emotional.

"Kota?"

From behind his door - locked tightly, as assumed - a gentle sobbing was heard. It was difficult to tell the origins, whether it was from frustration or sorrow, but ultimately, the source didn't matter as much as the reality of the situation.

There was a fleeting lapse in noise, before Kota's tear-stained voice echoed back, weakly. "Go away!"

"I can't do that. You're upset."

"I-I don't want to talk!" He replied unevenly.

Maybe to a regular person, that might have meant something. Maybe a regular person would have been deterred; keenly aware of the fact that a child's patience could be remarkable at times. Maybe a regular person would've sighed and simply walked away, with a soft reply of, _'okay, I'll be back later'_ , only to return and find nothing had changed.

Maybe a regular person would've done that - but the Heroics Course didn't preach giving up. That wasn't Plus Ultra.

"That's fine, I can wait."

A moment passed, and there was no change.

Two minutes. Then, three.

There was no reason to keep track of time, for it was only a matter of time. Be it minutes, days, weeks or years, the door would eventually open. And Kota would eventually come out.

A jingle of the doorknob indicated patience's virtue had shone through the uncertainty once more, as the door creaked open, and Kota peeked through the valley, eyes red. He opened his mouth, but closed it just as fast, obviously uncertain of what to say. His gaze averted, suddenly finding much more interest in the floor, and he mumbled lowly, "why?"

"Why what?"

"W-why, Yaomomo?

The tall girl sighed, a sad smile crossing her lips. Her silky black hair, not restrained by any ponytail on this given day, was swept behind her ear with a gentle rake of her fingers, and she contemplated where to begin. Part of her heart said to simply comfort the boy, ignoring words and logic, but the other part of her heart knew that the answer needed to come out.

But, nobody ever said she couldn't compromise. Kneeling down, she opened her body language, and her smile grew a slight bit larger, inviting the boy into a hug, which he gladly accepted. His head buried into her shoulder, and while he didn't dampen her shoulder, he simply shook with silent, frustrated sobs. Her heart ached for the boy, unable to fully relate to his predicament.

Her parents had always been around. Even for as busy and as regal as they were, they'd always found the time to care for her younger self, even skipping out on business trips in order to spend additional time with their little grade schooler. As Momo's Quirk developed - a stark contrast from both maternal and paternal sides - they specifically took care to help the young girl develop her Quirk safely, within the confines of their mansion. Despite all of the assistants and maids, and any type of specialist the family could have ever wanted, it felt more personal to help her learn the Quirk herself, and for both of Momo's parents.

Kota, on the other hand, was significantly less fortunate. He'd been 'raised' by professional heroes, who didn't have the same luxuries as her parents did. Calling out of something for the Pussycat Heroes could mean somebody's death - and that was a lot of weight to shoulder, no matter who you were. For Kota, he'd always come second, even if he needed to come first.

Living with Midoriya had been beyond therapeutic, and there was nothing in Momo's mind that told her it wasn't necessary, too. He'd finally been given a reliable father figure (in Mirio and Aizawa, just as much as Midoriya) and had plenty of positive roles models (minus Mineta - who, with the proper convincing, had cleaned up his act significantly since first year) surrounding him. But the heart was unwillingly greedy; and before Kota knew it, he'd been pining for the last piece of the puzzle.

A mother.

"I can't tell you that, Kota..." Yaoyorozu said softly. Her hand fleetingly went up to Kota's hair, but when he stiffened subconsciously, she slowly moved her hand to his back and lightly stroked her fingers against that, instead.

Truly, her heart ached, and another pang of pain flashed through her soul as the poor boy sniffled. "I just... I-I don't want you hate me. O-or Midoriya…"

"I wouldn't hate either of you. Why would you think that?"

"B-because I forced you two into w-weird spots."

It took almost all of Momo's willpower to avoid giggling, recalling several instances in which she had ended up in weird instances with not just Midoriya, but a majority of her class. For Ojiro, who'd never seen a bare set of breasts, he'd been beyond embarrassed when Yaoyorozu's uniform had been shredded by her Quirk. And for Tokoyami, who did not do well in tight spaces, only to be stuck inside of an 'air box' provided by a member of Class-B during training, she'd had to awkwardly comfort him as he nearly hyperventilated.

The past few days had been odd - and Midoriya, as a whole, emitted awkward as part of his existence - but they'd been far from unpleasant. Spending time with the two of them, Eri typically off and about, had been... well, _fun_. Aizawa's workload had done little to convince her to be more social, but with Kota's intervention, she found herself laughing during times she'd thought she'd be stress-crying.

With the revelation that had recently occurred, Momo now realized she'd seen less of Eri because the young girl was trying to fulfill her own goals, and she felt herself torn. Both kids needed something - and they both wanted something else.

How was she to fix that?

"Kota... it's _okay_." She squeezed the boy a little tighter within her grip. "You didn't do anything wrong. There's nothing to be sorry for."

She meant it, of course. He was still young, no matter how much he'd been forced to endure. At heart, he could feel as old as he wanted, but at the end of the day, despite however mature he felt, he was still but a child. A child who, for all that he knew, didn't know any better. It hadn't been malice that drove the young boy to do anything, thus, Yaoyorozu didn't see anything wrong with his thoughts. Were they manipulative? Possibly so.

Was that concerning? Maybe a touch.

But was she mad? Could she even _be_ mad? He'd done nothing but coerce the two Yuuei students together during times when they were not engaged to a prior activity, and for that, she felt little room to feel anything negative.

There would be a day when being _'just a child'_ would no longer work in his favor, and those days of flippantly ignoring the boy's behavior would vanish, as people would dote on his temperament daily... but, for now, Yaoyorozu was committed to being as helpful as she could to both Kota and Midoriya. Because honestly, she couldn't stand around idly and let the boy think he wrong for wanting something as simple as a mother's love - even if, in her own personal opinion, she was far too young to be a mother.

"We'll speak about your..." Yaoyorozu paused momentarily, considering her words carefully. " _Tactics_ later, but for now... why don't you tell me why you felt the need to compete with your sister?"

Kota wriggled out of the hug, and as he did so, appeared incredibly embarrassed as he averted his gaze. He mumbled something unintelligible under his breath.

"What was that?"

He sighed. "I... just wanted to be right. I feel like people side with Eri more, 'cause she's... I dunno, a girl?"

Yaoyorozu frowned.

Truthfully, he raised a valid point. He was often overshadowed by his sibling, but it was less due to her gender, and more due to her habit of appearing 'cuter' in the eyes of the beholders - which, often times, was the girls anyways. Her shimmering ruby eyes against her snow white hair made her a very photogenic model, and she was often found smiling, or looking wide-eyed, innocent at the lens when the camera was turned on her.

Kota, on the other hand, had a perpetual habit of escaping the limelight by either scowling at the camera, or purposely ducking out of the way. While he, too, had his adorable moments, they were farther and fewer between, which in a child's eyes, could cast the illusion that they didn't matter as much. It was wrong, of course, but there was no easy way to explain that to an attention-starved kid.

Explaining that wasn't exactly going to go easily, but Yaoyorozu had already come this far - she figured she could take a stab at it. "Kota, it's nothing to do with her being a girl, you know? It's all about presentation. And you don't like being the center of attention, do you?"

The boy was silent, processing the question, before he slowly shrugged.

"I don't mind it... I just feel... weird."

She almost rolled her eyes - _she couldn't imagine who he got that trait from._

"And it's okay to feel a bit strangely about that sort of thing - but Eri doesn't feel that same way, and because of that, people will sometimes pay her more attention." Momo paused. She didn't quite like the way that sounded - it had flowed much better in her head. With a sigh, she tried back-tracking. "Just because people take more pictures of Eri, or pay her a little more attention, it doesn't mean that they don't like you, or that because you're a boy, they don't think you're right. Sometimes, people just do that."

Kota looked up at Yaoyorozu, confusion written all over his face, to her dismay. "Why do they do that though?"

"Because... w-well, they just do?"

For a moment, the boy was silent; processing all the information he'd been provided with. His face was scrunched up in deep thought, before finally, he shook his head and stuffed his hands into his pockets. "I don't get it. People are weird."

Momo sighed; partially out of relief, but partially because, well, he was right.

Studying the boy, however, and digesting what he had to say, a thought occurred to her. "You don't feel as if you need to compete for my attention, do you?"

He shied away, kicking awkwardly at the ground. "N-no... I mean, sometimes, yeah, but you're busy with school and stuff."

That was only natural, of course. She was, after all, enrolled in Japan's most prestigious hero course, and was the Vice President of her class. While it didn't please her to be overly busy when there were people that genuinely wanted to spend time with her, there was also no avoiding the fact that sometimes, she'd just be consumed by her workload, and there was only one way around that. Her friends, for the most part, had come to accept that - and they supported her entirely, which she appreciated to no end.

"But outside of that?"

"No... a-and, I don't feel that way with da- I mean, Izuku, either... I just, I dunno…" Frustration began slipping into his tone; a likely result of his attempts to dissect his motives. "Sometimes, I feel like Eri gets everything. And I... don't."

Oh.

Yaoyorozu blinked. The cursed internally.

She didn't have any siblings - thus, that problem had never existed in her world. Furthermore, her parents were capable of supplying her with _whatever_ she wanted; whether that be something monetary in value, or sometimes just quality time.

"Well... what is it that you want?"

"I..."

Silence.

"I don't know."

Resisting the urge to giggle, Yaoyorozu took Kota by the hand, gently leading him back to the Living Quarters, where she knew Izuku to be waiting. "Come; I'm going to show you that the only thing you need is waiting for you."

* * *

The awkward silence that had followed Kota's sudden departure was, for lack of a better term, deafening.

Yaoyorozu quickly whispered something to Midoriya, who quickly whispered back, and nodded with a soft smile. The whole time, Mina and Eri were equally in the dark, though only Eri was unaware of what was being discussed. She looked from Ashido to Yaoyorozu, over to Midoriya, and then back to Ashido, hoping that at least one of them would provide her with some sort of information. But when the tall black haired girl walked after Kota, and Midoriya frowned after her, deep in thought, she felt guilt creeping up on her.

She didn't know why she felt guilty, though. It wasn't as if she'd done anything to hurt Kota, or to make him cry on purpose.

He'd challenged her - and she'd responded! For as long as she'd known the boy, he'd always been the one to push her buttons, trying to rile her up for a reaction, and she knew that. She wasn't daft - she knew exactly what he was doing, and each time, she felt as if just going to an adult was the easiest solution. It wasn't as if he was being malicious, though. Their personalities collided, time and time again. As much as he loved her, and she loved him, there was always a brewing storm when it came to the things they wanted - to the things they believed in, and how they went about getting those things.

Midoriya had sat Eri down and spoken to her individually about the struggles she might face moving forward. While he'd made it clear that it wasn't certain that she'd be faced with it, he'd also warned her about the possibility of people pushing her because of her quiet and reserved nature.

At first, she hadn't the slightest clue what he meant. Why would anyone take advantage of her being shy? It didn't make sense - though, that didn't make it any less imaginable. Her father, for instance, had already taken advantage of her. She knew the world was a cruel place. But even so, it didn't make sense; who would take advantage of such a small thing?

She'd later learn that it wasn't the same. Her emotions and personality weren't being _used_ , per say, but they were being exploited, as kids would coerce her to side with them in arguments that she had no opinion in, or to belittle her own opinion in something else. At first, she'd cried - fat, frustrated tears rolling down her cheek as she tried desperately to hide herself from view. Then, finally, she began learning she needed to push back if she wanted to avoid being pushed in the first place.

Ashido had been the one to teach her that.

The young girl could still clearly remember the day that her and Kota had gotten into an argument - the origins being trivial in nature - but, like most arguments, Kota had the upper hand and forced her into a corner, where she began huffing and puffing as tears crept up in her eyes. She'd escaped the situation, Kota frowned and sulking behind her, but she'd run directly into Ashido, who'd witnessed the whole thing. Instead of going to force Kota to apologize, and vise-versa, Ashido pulled her aside and let her cry her feelings out.

Then, she did something surprisingly helpful. She taught Eri to fight back.

 _"You can't let him just say that stuff, you know? Just 'cause you're smaller and quieter, it doesn't make your opinion wrong! You gotta stand up for yourself!"_

With a giant smile, Ashido offered advice that Eri would later come to hold close to her heart. _"If it's something you believe in, stand up for it! There might not be wrong opinions, but there are wrong ways of sharing that opinion. When your heart backs up your brain, trust me, it's worth pushing back. Just think of it like a dare - only, you're daring them to do something to prove themselves. You'll have to prove yourself too, which means you gotta be brave. And I know you're brave - you can do it!"_

And she had done it. She'd been brave. She'd stuck up for herself - and for her beliefs! Only... it seemed that instead of her crying, this time it was Kota. And that didn't really make her feel like she'd won anything.

"Is this... my fault?" Eri asked lowly, staring at Midoriya mutter under his breath.

"Why would it be your fault?"

It wasn't as if she'd forgotten Mina was next to her, but she hadn't expected the pink girl to actually hear her. Yet, she had, and now the ball was in her court. "I... did what you said."

"What I said...?" Mina put a finger to the corner of her mouth and looked upward, as if scanning her brain for a particular memory. "What did I say to do?"

"To stand up for myself! Because Kota said I was wrong - but I know I'm right! I know it with my brain," she said, pointing to her head. "And my heart!" She pointed to her chest. "And I made him prove it!"

Ashido blinked once. Then twice. And then...

A giant smile crossed the pink girl's face, recollection shining across her features. "There you go, Eri!" She knelt down and hugged the girl, smothering her with the pride she felt. "I knew you could do it - although, it looks like it created some work for Midoriya, huh?" Ashido said with a guilty smile plastered on her face as she pulled back from the hug.

Eri, though, wasn't smiling. "But... I feel bad. I didn't mean to make him cry. I just wanted to prove I was right."

"Well... Kota's just a bit confused right now. And, don't forget, he also thought he was right. Remember what else I told ya? _'There might not be wrong_ _opinions'_. Kota isn't wrong... and neither are you! It's just, you stuck to your guns, and I don't think he expected that response." Both girls looked in the direction that Kota ran off in, Eri looking more worried than Mina.

Ashido knew that Yaoyorozu would break through to him; she was good like that. Without even knowing the full story, Ashido already saw the telling signs of a competition, and could see what it was that they were debating. And, frankly, it made Mina's heart soar that Eri saw her like that! But, it also made her feel a smidgen bad that it conflicted with Kota.

Both kids had endured rough rides already. Determining who had the rougher life was impossible - and completely up to the judger. They'd both suffered far too greatly in their young lives, and Midoriya was the first great thing that had happened to either one of them. They both deserved whatever happiness was out there - and, Ashido was sure that Midoriya would find a way to grant them that happiness. The only problem was the whole... 'mother' situation.

Typically, children didn't dictate who their father would end up getting with, simply because they wanted her as a mother (or vise-versa). It was typically the single-parent establishing an interest in the other party first, and _then_ the kids would be introduced into the picture. This was backward - and also, mildly concerning. Midoriya was stuck in a situation that, for better or worse, he might not even want to be in. There was no promise he was romantically interested in either herself, or Yaoyorozu, like his children were imaging. Forcing himself to be with them would only complicate matters more when there was a loveless relationship in place, destined to crash and burn, inevitably creating more strife in the life of the kids.

Ultimately, it was a bad place to be - again, assuming he had no romantic interest. If he did, then things were different. But someone was going to end up disappointed. And that was yet another concerning part; especially since it was clear that both children had differing opinions.

There was a lot for Midoriya to handle, moving forward. And, truthfully, Ashido felt bad for him, because somehow, no matter how he played his hand, there would be a loser.

"Do you... think I was wrong?"

Ashido turned to Eri, putting a hand on the small girl's shoulder, and smiled softly at her.

"No. I don't."

It was simple, and there was no backing evidence. But, Ashido didn't feel she needed to add anything more.

She had siblings, and she knew all about competition. From being right to being wrong, to feeling right and feeling wrong, Ashido had been in every position imaginable at some point in time. She'd been the accuser, the accusee, the enforcer, the enforcee, and in-between all of them, and even to the present day, she knew that when it came down to it, just because something ended badly, it didn't mean she was wrong for thinking the way she did. Pleasing everyone, as she'd learned, was often times impossible. Somebody would lose, and then, eventually, they'd cry, rage or simply mope.

Nobody accepted losing well; that was just a fact of the game, and it was widely accepted.

Eri and Kota were in an unfortunate feud, but Kota hadn't been exposed to the other end of it - he hadn't ever been pushed like that before, and it showed. Eri hadn't exactly _won_ , but by forcing him to act, he'd realized that he had to actually outmaneuver her, which he failed at. Mina sympathized with him - she'd been outplayed by her brother and sisters on so many occasions, it humbled her to remember them.

But, in every loss, she learned an important lesson.

Whatever she wanted, she had to want it more than the other person.

It would be a telling lesson for her, moving forward.

"I hope Kota feels better..." Eri mumbled.

"He will; I promise." Ashido ruffled Eri's hair gently. "C'mon, let's go wait in the Common Room - with Yaomomo on the case, I bet he'll be down in no time!"

* * *

As it turned out, Ashido was correct. The time from their arrival in the Common Room, to the time it took Yaoyorozu to come, hand-in-hand with Kota, was almost no time at all. Midoriya, to his credit, gave Kota a warm hug, before slipping over to Eri and giving her an equally warm hug - which she returned gratefully. All parties took a seat on the couch, the room going silent. Thankfully, none of the other residents were downstairs; it appeared they were off on their own, studying or training - whatever it was that heroes in training did during their free-time.

But as result, there was a blanketing silence that spanned several moments, as neither child was willing to open up about the feelings that brewed beneath their surface. It wasn't hard to see - both kids had parts of guilt and regret written all across their face, and it bled into their body language. But, Midoriya knew better than to push them. He'd wait until they were ready to talk.

That didn't mean he wouldn't prompt them, however.

"Who wants to start?" Midoriya asked evenly. He was seated in the middle of the fray, opting to put himself in the possible warzone, if it came to it. Momo sat to his life, and Mina to his right; each kid sitting on their opposite side. Really, it was the perfect arrangement to keep them from getting too heated. Vision did a lot to set one off, and having them separated was a big deterrent.

Silence continued to reign.

So, Midoriya waited.

"I'm sorry," Kota said in a low voice. He shielded his eyes, opting to bow his head in submission; an acceptance of whatever punishment possibly awaited him. "I didn't..." His words trailed off, stymied by his lack of knowledge.

Though he likely had a reason for his actions, Midoriya had no doubt that Kota didn't quite understand what drove him to act. It was a consequence of being young - there wasn't always a concrete, finite driving force in the decision making process. The young Midoriya hardly had forgotten his own childhood - and, those decisions he made as a youth.

While a majority had been harmless, there were a few that had stuck with him and likely affected his friendship was Kacchan. They were innocently driven, of course, but they reeked of simplicity, which made everything a little bit more difficult. Even though they'd had Kacchan's best (assumed) interests in heart, they often complicated everything, since it was the opposite of what the blonde boy wanted. A majority ended up souring their already tense relationship, straining the connection until it nearly broke; though it wasn't always the fault of the young Izuku.

It was that which he held regret for, even if it wasn't entirely his fault. Nothing he could ever take back - nor did he particularly want to. But, he knew better than to scold either of his adoptive charges. It wouldn't help them understand anything.

No, he needed them to understand - which meant, he'd need to clearly explain everything.

"If you're going to be sorry..."

"You need to know why you're sorry..." Chorused both Eri and Kota, eliciting a small smile from Midoriya. It seemed they'd learned that lesson well enough - a lesson he had drilled into him by All Might.

"Right." He looked at Kota, then at Eri, and then back at Kota. "So why are you sorry?"

Kota bit his lip. "I... was a jerk. T-to Eri. Then, I forced Yaomomo and you to hang out."

"I-I'm a jerk, too..." Eri piped up, to the surprise of the small boy. "I made him do it, and I forced you and Ashido to hang out. I-I'm sorry..."

Midoriya inhaled.

"That's nothing to be sorry for." Both kids looked up at Midoriya. "You two have lived hard lives. I know that I'm guilty of wanting the same things you want. Sure, my mom is the best." Izuku smiled fondly, thinking back on all the times his mother had taken him to a comic store, or written hero journals with him, even going as far to help teach him how to draw. "But... I can't say I didn't want my dad around."

This time, Yaoyorozu and Ashido looked at him with wide eyes, as well as Eri and Kota. It seemed as if there was a unanimous cease-fire on all sides as the topic of Midoriya's father came up. As far as either of his two classmates were aware, the issue had stayed locked away, in a place that no one dared go. Bakugou was the only person with any historical knowledge of Izuku and his mother - and whatever knowledge he had of Midoriya's missing father had stayed privy to only his knowledge. Nobody had the courage to bring it up to him, and he'd never seen fit to bring it up, thus, keeping it hidden away.

"I never really knew him. My mom told me he's alive; he's just working, but... to a kid, that doesn't really mean anything. Sometimes, I'd see my classmates with their dads, and think... ' _why can't that be me?_ ' or I'd imagine myself in their shoes." He snorted suddenly, a small smile touching his lips. "I-it's kinda embarrassing now that I'm older. I just wanted a whole family, is all."

"T-that's... what I want, t-too." Kota coughed softly, sensing the shift of everyone's attention onto him. "Not that... I don't, y'know, l-love you..." Izuku felt his heart swell at that. "I just want a complete thing, I guess. B-but I went the wrong way about it."

"Do you know why?"

It was a simple question; one without any expectations. It was prominently clear that Kota was sorry - his body language spoke more than his words did. But, Midoriya wanted to see if the young boy could identify _why_ his thought process had been wrong, simply beyond the guilty feeling that he felt.

This time, it was Eri that spoke up, her soft voice breaking the muffling quiet. "B-because we used others?"

Midoriya nodded. "Wanting something isn't a crime. Everyone wants thing. B-but you can't rope others into your desires, especially if you don't know what they want."

Blissfully, Midoriya was unaware of the slight blush that touched Ashido's cheeks or the pondering look that crossed Yaoyorozu's face. The pink girl went as far as to whistle softly under her breath, drawing a hushed giggle from the pale-skinned child next to her.

"We could spend all night talking about this-" Eri and Kota both kept their groans in check "- or... we could watch a movie?"

Four pairs of eyes lit up at the proposition, and Midoriya quietly laughed as Ashido began teasing Yaoyorozu about her excitement. Kota began laughing, breaking the dam between himself and Eri, as the snow-haired girl joined in, creating a soft melody of mixing chuckles that Midoriya simply basked in. There was still a lot that was unsaid, after all. He wasn't looking forward to when he was cornered by the two beauties next to him... but, if his perseverance had taught him anything, it was that if he broke enough bones, the problem would eventually solve itself.

"Come here, you two!" He said with a wide smile and open arms. Whether or not he had secret magnets within his grip was a mystery, but suddenly, there were two children, laughing within his grasp, giggling and snorting like nothing had ever been wrong. He squeezed them, chuckling along with them, before leaning down so he was near their ears, and whispered, "I hope I can be enough for you two, like my mom was."

Their laughter simmered a bit, but they equally squeezed back, burying their faces into his sides.

"You always have been, dad."

"You're not Tiger, but you're pretty good at hugs, too. And, y'know, being a dad."

Quietly, Midoriya peeked over his shoulder, spying the two girls that remained on the couch, their hands folded in their laps. His soft smile grew slightly as their eyes locked.

Maybe they weren't their respective mothers yet - but something deep, deep down told him... one day, they would.

And, as everyone snuggled in for a movie - blankets passed around, popcorn popped, and lights off - Midoriya couldn't help but notice how both of his munchkins picked their respective side (fussing over his scarred hand, per normal), before snuggling into his presence... while Eri cuddled into Ashido's side, with Kota burrowing into Yaoyorozu's.

Both girls exchanged a look, blushes on both their faces, as they shared a smile and nestled in, willing to open themselves to the idea that was now implanted in their heads.

* * *

 _That's a wrap for this two-part chapter! Sorry if this isn't as fluffy as other chapters... or as well-written. I am officially back from my hiatus, which you can find details about on my Tumblr (Scandinavian_Sensation). It feels good to be back, but I have a lot of rust to break off, so please, bear with me!_

 _If there are any suggestions you want to see moving forward, please let me know either here, or on Tumblr. I'll be working on beginning those ideas! Thanks guys, and Happy Holidays!_


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